


Much Ado About Literally Everything

by Onceupona_justice



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Bastardizing Shakespeare, F/M, M/M, Marijuana, Much Ado About Nothing, Recreational Drug Use, Theatre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 11:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15684192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onceupona_justice/pseuds/Onceupona_justice
Summary: Set in college, roommates Remus and Lily are cast in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, along with brothers Sirius and James. Remus starts out angry at Sirius for being cast as the lead and for coming and stealing all of his theater friends but they begin to bond over theater and their equally tragic pasts becoming closer than intended.A small amount of angst, but mostly just a whole lot of fluff and sarcasm. Some minor James and Lily action.





	1. Chapter 1

“Did you see the list, Lily?” Remus asked into his phone which sat tucked between his shoulder and ear as he shuffled down the sidewalk. His hands were buried deep in his wool jackets pockets, and a cigarette hung out of the corner of his mouth, smoke trailing out as he spoke.

“Haven’t had the chance to check my email yet today, please tell me it's good news?” Remus heard the chatter of Lily’s coworkers in the background while she took her lunch break from the coffee shop and let out a puff on his cigarette. He stayed silent, a moment longer than he should, knowing the anticipation would drive her crazy. “Oh, just spit it out Reems.” He chuckled and came to a stop outside of a large ornate brick building and pulled a hand out of his pocket to check the watch on his wrist. It read 1:40, which meant he still had twenty minutes before he had to clock into the library, so he took a seat on a low wall by the bike racks.

“It’s all good on your front Lils, you’ll be playing the beautiful Beatrice against some bloke named Sirius Black. Which I’m not sour about at all so just hush up,” he added, because he could hear spluttering on the other side of the phone and her trying hard not to laugh; she knew he had a tendency to get bitter when he wasn’t cast the lead, but it only tended lasted a day or two. “And I will be playing the lovesick Claudio against the fabulous Dora.”

“Oh, I do love her! Do you think you two will hook up again then?”

“I think there is a definite chance of that, love,” Remus replied with another long drag of his cigarette, and a smile on his face. “A chance indeed.” He released the smoke with a chuckle and stubbed it out with the toe of his converse.

“I do wish you’d just settle — what?!” There was a commotion on the other side followed by a crash and loud swearing, “Shit, I’ve got to get back, inventory just came in and it’s about triple what we ordered.”

“No problem Flower, I’ve probably got to be getting in too, bye Lils.” She hummed in response and with that he hung up and let out a long breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding in. He’s aware Lily didn’t exactly approve of his serial dating slash sleeping around, but he just hadn’t found the person that fit yet. He had tried fooling around with girls, and more frequently he had tried it with guys but nothing really felt worthy of pursuing. In truth it was much easier to do the friends with benefits thing, and with his large group of theatre friends, there were enough benefits to go around. He huffed and stood, brushed off his trousers and made for the front door.

*** 

The first read through was that following Friday at six thirty in Professor Dumbledore’s spacious office. Remus and Lily arrived together ten minutes early, a usual affair for the two friends, wide smiles on both of their faces, and Dumbledore greeted them warmly. He offered them tea and biscuits and a handshake for Remus.  
     

“Nice to see you feeling well again Mr. Lupin, we missed you a great deal during our performance of Grease.” The smile he game Remus was a genuine one, and he offered him a light pat on the shoulder before moving on to the next couple of students making their way through the doors.  
     

“Yes and I’m sure me being sick has nothing to do with my role,” he whispered to Lily, rolling his eyes and heading towards a round table in the back of the room.  
     

“Oh come off it Moony,” Lily shot back, trailing after him with a steaming cup of tea in her hands.  
   

“Yeah, yeah, I’m over it.” He said exasperated plopping down in one of Dumbledore’s plentiful cozy chairs. “I just — I’ve never even heard of this ‘Sirius Black.’ Who the fuck is he anyway, some new kid?” He casually glanced around and waved at the Prewett twins and Nymphadora as he saw them wander in.  
     

“He was you, Remus.” She said her hand falling flat on the table, her green eyes meeting his hazel ones, and her voice serious.  
     

“What the fuck does that even mean?” He practically shouted, throwing his arms up over his head looking distressed. The more they talked the more he craved a smoke, but McGonagall would have his hide if he ran out now to nab one.  
     

“When you were in hospital, he came in and saved everything. I’m not saying he’s not a prat, ‘cause he is and he’s James’ brother so: Prat, but he was doing behind the scenes work when you got sick and we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off looking for a Danny last minute and he always singing around the shop…” She trailed off looking at Remus’ wide eyes and downturned mouth. “No one compares to you love, but he really knocked it out of the park for us. The girls loved him.”  
     

“Bloody brilliant.”  
     

“What is mate?” Said a round cheeked man with thick, light hair sticking out everywhere. He took the seat left of Remus and shoved a biscuit in his mouth and threw his script on the table in front of him.  
     

“He’s just lamenting the loss of his name in lights is all Peter,” Lily whispered behind her hand taking the other seat next to Remus and taking a noisy sip from her cup of tea.  
     

“Don’t worry Remus, you’ll be back on top in no time,” spat Peter around his mouthful of biscuits.  
     

“I. Do. Not. Care.” Seethed Remus running a hand over his face rising from his chair, “I’m getting a cup before this starts.”  
     

He smiled at Marlene and Alice sitting across the room with someone who looked suspiciously liked the aforementioned James and made his way back to Dumbledore’s desk where multiple pots of Yorkshire tea sat with mismatched tea cups spread out over the desk. He grabbed a dark blue mug with constellations dotted all over, famously known as his mug throughout the theater group, and went about making his cup.  
     

“You’ve stolen my cup there mate,” said a voice very close to Remus’ shoulder, he almost jumped while he added a splash of milk to his tea.  
     

“Excuse me?” Remus screeched setting the cup down and spinning to face the man accusing him of theft and nearly tripping at the sight of him. He had wavy black hair that swooped in front of his face in shags and curled around his ears and jaw; that jaw was sharp and covered in the most delicious amount of stubble that Remus just wanted to drag his tongue over. His eyes were shining and speckled and the most beautiful dark grey; he didn’t make it any further than looking at his face before he realized that the mouth was moving. His mouth.  
     

“-the whole show I used that, it’s coated in my germs. I mean it, I never washed it.” Remus just stared for a moment unsure of what to do or say or if any of this was even really happening. He blinked a few times, turned and picked up the stolen (FROM HIM) cup, and made a show of licking the rim of it before walking back to his seat.  
Dorcas Meadows, and Gideon and Fabian Prewett had joined their table in his absence and we’re talking amongst themselves and thumbing through their scripts but quieted at Remus’ return noting his stricken demeanor.  
     

“Remus what-“ started Gideon.  
     

“Let us all take our seats and prepare for tonight’s read through of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”!” Bellowed Professor (and director) Dumbledore. The rest of the students took their seats, the handsome cup stealer being one of them, and Dumbledore continued. “We’ve a few new faces this go around so it’s my favorite part, it’s your favorite part, let’s all go around the room and introduce ourselves!” Dumbledore and McGonagall waved their hands above their heads with completely straight faces to a round of raucous cheers and applause.  
     

“Let us start with our leading lady,” said Professor Minerva McGonagall with a smile, perching on the edge of Dumbledore’s desk, clasping a cup with a silhouette of a cat on it.  
     

Lily to the right of Remus stood, flattening the skirt of her dark green dress. “Lily Evans, playing Beatrice,” she brought her hands together in front of her chest thinking, “and I am constantly running from place to place.” The room cheered, and there was definite wolf whistling from a certain tan skinned man with large framed glasses in the opposite, but she chose to ignore those.

“Let’s continue with that table shall we?” McGonagall suggested. The two red headed boys next to Lilly jumped to their feet, smiling excitedly.  
     

“I’m Gideon-“  
     

“-and I’m Fabian-”  
     

“One at a time please Prewetts!” Chided McGonagall from the front of the room; meanwhile Dumbledore seemed to be in the midst of falling asleep on his chaise under the big window with a silver tea cup balanced on his chest.  
     

“Yes ma’am!” Saluted the brothers in unison, meanwhile the both remained standing. Though the brothers were not twins, it was nare impossible to tell the two apart. Gideon had slightly longer and lighter hair, whiles Fabian’s was cropped closer to his head and a dark auburn; their faces however were near identical. Both fair, and absolutely covered in freckles with dark green eyes, and long sharp noses.  
     

“I’m Gideon Prewett, playing Leonato. And I have a brother!” With that he sunk back in his seat and shoved a biscuit in his smiling face.  
     

“And I am Fabian Prewett, playing the messenger and night-watch member… which will not be confusing seeing as I also…. have a brother.” He too sat and took a long sip from his tea. The class laughed heartily and Peter and Dorcas went leaving Remus the last at the table.  
     

“Remus Lupin” he gave a broad wave, receiving many in return and a wink from cup thief. “Playing the role of Claudio, and I’m into astronomy.” He sat quickly as the class whooped and he smiled into his tea cup. He will admit to blocking out most of the introductions, having known ninety percent of the class since freshman year but his interest was piqued when he noticed the gorgeous man stand.  
     

“I’m Sirius Black,” the girls hollered while Remus inwardly groaned and banged his head on the table, rattling the teacups. Lily looked over at him and sighed rolling her eyes, she patted him on the back and rubbed circles into his shoulder while Sirius spoke. “I’ll be the beautiful Benedick and I have a newly found love of acting.” The room erupted in the loudest cheers yet and Dumbledore startled from where he was reclined.  
     

“Yes! Yes! Now that we have the niceties through let us get this show rolling!” He clapped he his hands together and the lights dimmed (the freshmen used to think he was a wizard, but it’s just a really fancy clapper that dims the light) and the cast let out and audible “ooohhhhh.”  
     

“If you would Mr. Prewett.” Mrs. McGonagall said as she stood from her perch and wandered to a green high back chair at the front of the room.  
     

“And which of us would that be Minnie?” asked Fabian as he flipped open his script and uncapped a blue highlighter.  
     

“It’d be me Fabe, pay attention you git,” Gideon whacked his brother on the back of his with his script and grabbed the highlighter from his hand; he laid the script out in front of him and cleared his throat. _“I learn in this letter that Don Pedro of Aragon comes this night to Messina.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta’d in part by batardcherepakha on tumblr :)


	2. Chapter 2

“I still can’t believe you get to snog her Padfoot!” James exclaimed as they made their way across the campus towards the apartment the two of them shared. The winter air was still clinging tightly around them, their breaths puffed out in little clouds around them as they spoke.

“Yes,” drawled Sirius as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag, releasing the smoke before he continued talking. “But seeing as I’m about as queer as Elton John riding a unicorn over a double rainbow, you have nothing to fucking worry about.” James laughed brightly as he dug through the pockets of his tight jeans for his keys and shouldered the door to their apartment open.

“And if that weren’t the truest fact on earth, I would make you pay thrice for suggesting I do this play in an attempt to woo Lily!” James bellowed dramatically pointing his finger in  Sirius’ face before he threw his bag by the door and toed his boots off.

“Why do you always start talking like a Native American when it comes to Lily?”

“Don’t quote New Girl at me! Now do you want a cuppa or not?” James asked already stomping towards their kitchen.

“If you can somehow turn that tea into a mocha,” retorted Sirius with a hopeful smile poking his head into the kitchen. James gave him a noncommittal grunt and a wave of his hand over his shoulder and Sirius left him to it.

He could hear James puttering behind him as he walked through the cluttered living room and back through a tight hallway to his bedroom. He dropped his bag with a “ _thunk_ ” and flopped backwards onto the four poster double bed. Sirius let out a long breathe, and lay there for a long moment soaking in the beautiful silence of his home after the hectic morning and the rowdy evening read-through. He sat up slowly, running a ringed hand through his shaggy hair, and pulled another cigarette from the box in the breast pocket of his black button down and grabbed the lighter and ashtray off his nightstand. He lit it and reclined back on the bed closing his eyes as he inhaled the nicotine.

Sirius’ room was the bigger of the two, “Just slightly mind you!” Sirius was quick to yell anytime James brought it up, and painted a dark green with posters plastering every inch of the walls. Most were of Sirius’ favorite bands and movies; Queen, ACDC, Bowie, Labyrinth, and Alien, to name a few; but there were also a fair number of theater posters dotting the walls. Jekyll & Hyde, Sweeney Todd, and Rent were the most prominent on the walls, situated carefully behind glass frames, with their respective playbills tucked in with them. There was a small artists desk tucked in under the window buried under a multitude of supplies and books, and somewhere if Sirius looked hard enough, a laptop.

Maybe.

He turned his head and opened his eyes to look at the dog-eared copy of _Much Ado About Nothing_ he had tossed on top of it all on his way out the door that morning. The read-through went better than Sirius could have anticipated for this being only the second show he had acted in. Well, technically it wasn’t his second show, only the second time he actually made it onto stage.

James came whistling through the open door before Sirius got to lost in thought with two steaming cups and kicked at Sirius leg till he met his eye with a withering glare and sat up to take the offered cup from him.

“Cheers Prongs,” he said lifting his cup and leaning over to dispose of his now dead cigarette. He smiled taking notice of the elaborate heart design in the foam of his drink. “Working on your day off?”

“Only for you dear,” James replied batting his long lashes at Sirius from behind his glasses. He took a seat on the corner of Sirius’ bed and leant back against the post, “how was the shop today?”

“Well some git mucked up the order again,” sniped Sirius sitting up and leaning against the headboard. “So Lily was a right tornado, she glared at you every time you spoke tonight, as if you didn't notice. It’s a shame you didn’t give her a heads-up about the show.”

“And risk that fight?!” James quipped taking a sip of his mocha. “I’m in now, she can’t get rid of me. This was all your plan anyways!”

“Just that you do the play to spend more time with her mate! I didn’t think I’d have to hold your hand through this! You should have told her as a way to start a real conversation, you dunce!”

“I didn’t want to risk her yelling at me Padfoot! She ignores me every chance she gets at the shop, except to tell me what to do. I thought if we were at rehearsal together, maybe that’ll change. Maybe she’ll see another side of me; we’ll be there, together, revising lines and… and whatever else you do, it’s the perfect plan!”  He practically screamed his eyes wide and his arms shooting out frantically trying to convey his point to Sirius. He cursed as a drop of coffee splashed over the edge of the cup he forgot he was holding and onto Sirius’ comforter.

“First, don’t spill fucking coffee on my bed, and second, don’t fuck the order. Not again James.” Sirius said his voice stern as he wagged a finger in his brothers face.

“I don’t see why Mum has me do it anyway; I don’t mean to keep fucking it up.” He mumbled into the side of his cup.

“’To instill a sense of responsibility Jimmy’,” Sirius said in a sing-songy voice, he took a sip from his cup and set it on his nightstand with his ashtray.

“Well then help me out at least!” Whined James pulling out his own pack of cigarettes and pulling a one hitter from the pack. He shoved the pack back in his pocket and pulled out his lighter and held it to the metal tube and lit it. He inhaled deeply and held the smoke for a moment or two before dispelling it out his nostrils. “I just don’t know how to stop fucking up around her Pads she’s too damn distracting and I can’t help feeling like this play is my last shot.”

“Stop acting like it’s the end of the world mate, you’ll have plenty of other chances if you muck it all up. Now buck up, get your arse off my bed, and let’s go get pissed.” Sirius said snatching the one hitter from James’ hand and taking the remainder of the hit for himself.

 

***

 

“Lily, how have you never let slip that the bane of you existence has a fit brother,” questioned Remus as he took a large swig from his pint. “And that you fucking work with him?!” He and Lily were sat at their favorite pub, The Three Broomsticks, an old brick building nestled in between a bookshop and a Chinese place a block from the apartment they shared.

“One!” Lily said rather loudly, raising a finger,  followed by a swig of her own beer. The two of them had walked straight there when the read-through had ended at half past seven and it was going on ten now; Lily’s cheeks had taken on an adorable pinkish hue. “I blatantly ignore every aspect of James Fleamont Potter’s life.”

“Yet, you know his middle name.” Remus couldn’t help but point out, taking another swig.

“Two!”Lily continued clearly ignoring him, raising another finger. “He is just as big of an obnoxious prat as his brother at the shop, he’s constantly flirting with the customers and joking around. It’s hell.” Remus rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his beer and made an attempt to flag down their favorite bartender Moody. “And thre-”

Lily was interrupted by a loud hiccup and she paused for moment, a hand flying to her mouth in surprise before erupting in a loud bout of giggles over the bar-top.  

“You best be watching her Lupin.” Moody huffed making his way slowly down the bar towards them. “Another round?”

“And four shots of Jameson my good sir,” Remus replied cheerily, smacking Lilly on the back. Her laughter was dying down but her hiccups were persisting. She smiled at him goofily through her hiccups and grabbed her beer and downed the last bit, hoping to quell them. Moody refilled their glasses and plopped the shots down in front of the two of them in a row with a knowing smile before disappearing down the bar.

Remus grabbed two of the small glasses and handed one to Lily, he turned to face her and raised his in cheers, she did the same and waited in anticipation for his toast. “To the most beautiful Beatrice there ever was and to an amazing show.” Remus’ gaze shifted to the door as the bell above it rang just as he was about to down the shot and he swore inwardly as he met eyes with the devil himself, he squeezed them shut tightly and shot the liquor back. He grabbed the other glasses and handed Lily hers, “you’ll want to down that quick, trouble incarnate just walked through the door.”

Lily didn’t doubt him for a minute, just met his eye as they downed them in tandem. “But this is my favorite pub!” She hissed grabbing her beer and jumping off her stool to hide behind Remus’ tall figure. “I don’t want to leave my favorite damned pub.”

“Then get back in your chair woman and sit up tall like the bad bitch you are, and make him go running with his tail between his legs.” His eyes tracked the top of two black shaggy heads making their way towards them; he turned his back on them and faced Lily. “How do I look?” He asked, raking his hand through his tawny curls and pushing the sleeves of his maroon sweater up to his elbows, revealing his corded forearms. She watched his movements in shock and her eyes shot up to his face bewildered.

“Whatever for Remus?!” She questioned straightening up and smoothing her dark auburn hair back.

“I’m going to distract Sirius and tell him where he can shove it, while you do the same with James.” The two of them were hollering loudly behind them with a group of their classmates, but they were drawing ever nearer to the bar. “This is our pub and we’re standing our ground Flower, so help me Jesus.”

“You’re Jewish, love.”

“Not now Lily, I’m taking charge! He has taken over my theater but he will not take my pub!” He raised his beer triumphantly and took a drink.

“I knew you were upset about that!” Lily cried triumphantly waving her finger in his face.

“I am not upset about it!”

“What are we most definitely not upset about?” Questioned Sirius with a grin, coming up on Remus’ left with James’ trailing sheepishly behind him.

“The price of tea in China Mate,” Remus quipped taking a drink and carefully not meeting Sirius’ eye.

“Well I have heard that it’s absurdly high there for a country whose major export is the stuff.” Sirius replied gravely.

“A valid reason for being upset.”

“But you’re not upset.

“Correct.”

Lily and James stood silently watching the interaction between brother and friend and steadfastly ignoring each other. It grew silent amongst the four of them, the noise from the pub filling in around them.

“Can we buy you a round?” Suggested Sirius, when the silence had lasted a moment too long, elbowing James in the side to speak up.

“Yeah, to commemorate the start of rehearsals!” James cheered a little unsure. Lily turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

“We aren’t quite done with these,” she said dryly, raising her half full pint glass and nodding towards the similar one Remus was hiding his smirk behind.

“Oh well-” James’ mumbled apology began, but was cut off quickly by Sirius swinging a leather clad arm over his shoulder.

“How about shots?” Sirius quipped, a wicked grin breaking out across his face as he made eye contact with Remus, who had been quietly downing his beer since the talk of drinks began. “I’m gonna go get us some shots Jimmy.” He said pulling James with him as they pushed through the crowd, hissing at each other as they walked to the end of the bar, a good ten feet from where Lily and Remus stood. This gave Lily ample opportunity to smack Remus across the chest without them taking notice of their own squabbling. 

“What was that?!” She hissed out, watching the brothers out of the corner of her eye. Their heads were bent together in discussion, waiting to grab Moody’s steely attention.

“What do you mean?! You’re the one who hit me!” Remus yelped.

“I meant the blatant flirting, and right in front of me!”

“Are you daft Lily? I’m cutting you off, give me that pint.” Remus said reaching for her glass, she swatted away his attempts and downed the rest in two quick gulps. “Lily! I am not flirting, hand on heart.”

“You’ll be snoggin’ in the paint cupboard by next Tuesday; I’ll put a tenner on it.” She said brushing her hair back over her shoulder and giving him a smile.

“Fuck off.” Muttered Remus as he too finished his beer and looked over to where Sirius and James were talking to Moody animatedly. There was a fond expression on Mad Eye’s face as he talked to the two young men and filled six shot glasses with a clear liquor.

“Uh huh, don’t hate him on my account Moons if you’re really not upset-”

“I’m not!”

“Okay! I’m sure he’s different then his brother, I just don’t care to take the time to find out right now Remus, so I’m heading out.” She hopped off her stool a little less than her normal graceful self and grabbed her purse off the hook on the bar.

“Wait, what?” Remus asked his attention turning back to her, “I’ll come with you; I’m through with my beer.” He made to stand but Lily placed a hand on his shoulder halting his upward movement.

“Yes, but shots Remus, and you love shots.” Lily gave his shoulder a quick pat and a wink before cackling loudly as she made her way through the crowd, a feint jingling marking her exit.


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius and James wove their way back through the quickly filling up pub, bumping past the bodies of the other patrons to where they had left Lily and Remus at the bar, carrying the many shots between the two them. “Where’d Lily run off to mate?” James asked coming up next to Remus to set the drinks on the bartop, a pout set deep on his dark skinned face.

“She’s uh, left me to my own devices, I suppose.” Muttered Remus, not too sure where his answer would lead him, or if he too should try to make a swift exit as soon as possible

“Take a shot mate.” Sirius offered with a large goofy grin handing out the small glasses to his brother and Remus. “To being left to our own devices!” He roared loudly, tipping his head back and shaking his head like a madman. Remus raised his eyebrows but accepted the glass and tossed it back quickly with the two of them. Tequila, Remus winced at the first initial burn as the liquid eased down his throat, but smiled at the all too familiar minty aftertaste.

“Tell it to me straight mate, was she running away from me again?” James asked solemnly leaning against the bar and reaching for another of the shots.

“No, not this time. She’s just sick of my company is all,” Remus replied looking over at James. He looked truly remorseful at the thought of chasing Lily for what had to be the millionth time, and he gave him a swift reassuring pat on the back between the shoulderblades. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t hate you as much as you might think.”

“She doesn’t?!” He asks, instantly perking up. Slapping his hands against the bar and giving Remus a manic look like he’d just given him the best possible news in the world.

“Nah, she just thinks you’re a useless prat,” assured Remus with a nod of his head.

“HA!” Sirius let out a surprised, bark like laugh throwing an arm around James’ slightly taller shoulder and picking up a second shot glass as well. “And how fucking right she is!” The brothers downed the shots and smiled warmly at each other before James pushed Sirius away with a laugh, leaving Remus in a dazed stupor as he reached for the last shot on the bar and downed it.

“You’ll help me won’t you?” James asked, rounding back on Remus and running a hand through his messy short mane of black hair. Not fixing it at all, just messing it up in a whole other way.

“With what exactly Potter?” Remus worried he knew exactly where this was going, and Lily was not going to be pleased with him if he agreed with helping James with anything he suggested.

“With Evans! You must know her well enough, I know you two have lived together since she started working at the shop sophomore year at least. Please, I’d do anything for you mate.” James dropped to his knees dramatically at Remus’ feet and clutched one of his hands between both of his. “I swear to you Remus… uh… I’m sorry I’ve just realized I don’t know your full name nate,” he said crestfallen.

“Get off the floor you fucking numpty,” Sirius said chuckling; thwacking him twice ‘round the back of the head. “Why don’t you go pick a song?” James nodded from the floor and released Remus’ hand with a soft pat, and climbed gracefully to his feet in search of the old jukebox Madeye had restored.

“I fully understand why Lily avoids you lot now.”

“You’ll have to forgive James for be a raving lunatic, we had a bit of a pregame before we came out tonight,” Sirius said giving Remus a wink and climbing up on the stool next to him. “Although when it comes to the lovely Ms. Evans, his behavior is completely unforgivable. You can hardly blame the bloke, he’s been in love with her since mum hired her sophomore year.”

“Lily’s never going to give him the time of day if he keeps acting that way,” Remus said pointing to James doing a terrible version of gangnam style to some sad country song, causing a small crowd to gather, laughing loudly. “She doesn’t want to be made the center of attention by someone acting like a complete ponce around her.”

“You know, James was right, we haven’t been properly introduced yet.” Sirius said out of the blue, taking Remus by a bit of surprise at the quick change of topic.

“I’m surprised by that fact actually,” murmured Remus, “seeing how well you seem to know all of my theatre friends.” He waved down Madeye for another drink and eyed Sirius incredulously, who only chuckled in response, missing the faint amount of contempt in Remus’ voice.

“Most of whom I’ve also met through working in the theater department, so my question is; how have I not met you?” Sirius specified, his silver eyes darkening.  
Madeye interrupted the two of them then, a conspiratory look on his weathered face. “And what can I get you gentleman?” His tone gruff but with just a hint of something else to it that sounded a lot like “I know something you don’t know.”

“Whiskey and coke for me, and whatever he’s having is on me. I insist.” Declared Sirius, nodding in Remus direction. seeing Remus two seconds away from arguing.

“I’ll have the same,” Remus said a little quieter and watched in silence as Madeye mixed their drinks.

“So,” Sirius said, glass now in hand. “You were explaining how we don’t know each other.”

“Did a stint for quite a while during the fall semester.” Remus said looking down at his drink something cold flashing over his face, Sirius’ eyes widened as he regarded Remus.

“At St. Mungo’s hospital, I mean.” Remus’ clarified, meeting Sirius’ eye and giving him his own version of a devilish grin, causing Sirius to flush slightly under the collar.

“The entire semester?”

“I missed Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, but I escaped about a week before Hanukkah. Mono, and double pneumonia, which actually helped me to participate in Yom kippur for the first time since I lived back home. I couldn’t have eaten a thing if I wanted to.”

“Well that’s shite.”

“My immune system is inefficient on the best days, and completely deficient on the worst of them to say the least.” Deadpanned Remus, taking a swig of drink.

“You. Poor. Frog!” Sirius cried sweeping Remus up in an over-zealous and slightly tipsy hug, their feet getting tangled. Remus huffed out a breath squirming away immediately and pushing at Sirius’ chest, giving him a bewildered look. “Now please tell me your name, handsome boy.”

“It’s Remus Lupin,” he said flushing darkly at the compliment, praying Sirius wouldn’t notice in the dark pub. “And who calls someone a bloody frog?” He asked smoothing out his sweater and eyeing Sirius more warily than he had before.

“Remus, yes! I had mistaken you for Romulus the other day.”

“Har-Har”

“Well I’m Sirius Black, have at that Mr. ‘I Like Astronomy’.” Sirius smirked thrusting out his hand to shake Remus’ rather enthusiastically.

“I’m aware of who you are, and that’s pretty low hanging fruit don’t you think, Dog Star?”

“But you went for it anyway.” They settled into a comfortable silence for a few songs, sipping from their drinks and watching their friends dance wildly. The lot of them pulling elaborate dance moves; twists, twirls, and dips. All executed quite drunkenly. “So, you do hang out with the theatre crew then,” Sirius said, breaking the silence. “It’s a shame you missed out on Grease, it was a good laugh.” He said, nudging Remus with an elbow.

“Well, I heard you covered for my arse brilliantly.”

“Oh, that was you, Lily never told me. Well,” he seemed at a loss for words at not making the connection, and shocked at the compliment. “Well who hasn’t dreamed of playing Danny Zuko,” Sirius settled on. “All Tonks told me was the lead had to bail a week into rehearsals, and no one else said a thing about it. I really didn’t want to turn it down you know? So I never give it another thought.” Sirius shrugged, giving Remus a look that said “what can you do?” and Remus couldn’t argue, he would have done the same thing in Sirius’ place.

“You know Dora? Who don’t you know?” Remus asked incredulously.

“Well, ‘Dora,’” Sirius coughed. “Is my cousin, how do you know her?” Sirius inquired, his eyebrow raising comically.

“Theatre,” answered Remus quickly, taking a gulp of his drink, “obviously.” He added waving his hand in a matter of fact way.

“Siiiiiriuuuuus!” James yelled from where he was dancing, swaying his hips in time with the music. “Come dance with me!” Sirius smiled over at his brother and shot him a double thumbs up. He turned to look at Remus who was watching their interaction with an amused look now on his face, trying poorly to conceal it behind his glass.

“Care to join us out on the floor?”

“Not tonight, I’ve got a shift at nine; I should be on my way soon.” With that he gulped down the rest of his drink and flagged down Moody to settle his tab.

“But I’ll see you Monday for rehearsal right; in Dumbledore’s office? Scene one, act one; diving straight in with the bard himself.”

“Shakespeare, Dumbledore, or you?” Remus asked rising from his seat and placing his wallet in his back pocket and pulling his dark brown wool coat over his shoulders.

“To be determined at a later date I suppose.” Sirius smirked as Remus backed away from him and out the front door of the now bustling pub, the bell ringing pleasantly overhead.

***

Lily was lounging on their overstuffed cream sofa, phone in hand, in an oversized mustard yellow sweater and a pair of plaid boxer shorts, thick black socks on her small feet, and her dark hair piled high on her head; a long haired gray cat was nestled into her lap. They both looked up as Remus came through the door stomping snow off his black high tops and brushing it out of his loose curls. He left his dripping shoes on the overflowing mat they kept by the door and tucked his coat into the closet overflowing with bits and bobs behind the door

“Tea Lils?” He questioned walking straight into the kitchen across from the front door, careful to step around the wet spot on the floor in his stockinged feet. The room was a small galley style kitchen, painted a cheery tuscan red with contrasting black appliances. There was a window on the far wall looking down into the courtyard they shared with the other tenants of the building and light wood cabinets taking advantage of all available space.

“Yes please!” She called back, not bothering to rise from her spot on the couch. Remus went about filling the kettle in the deep white farm sink and setting it atop the small range top. He left the water to boil as he took a right out of the kitchen and down the short hall to his bedroom. He flipped the switch right inside the door and shed his skinny jeans and sweater leaving the soft white undershirt. His favorite well worn joggers lay on his bed across from his door and pulled them on hastily already feeling the crisp air trying to seep in.

He pulled open his nightstand drawer removing his pipe and grinder, pocketing both things, before also grabbing one of many lighters. Back in the kitchen the kettle was starting to whistle and he heard Lily rise from the couch; Mira came skittering down the hallway pausing at Rumus’ feet expectantly. He scooped her up, pausing to switch the light off, and joined Lily in the kitchen.

“I was getting it Flower.” He said, depositing the cat on the back counter of the small kitchen and opening the fridge pulling out the milk. Lily was already pouring the boiling water over the teabags in their two cups, adding a small scoop of sugar to Remus’ and a larger one to hers.

“And I got it for you babes.” She said smiling over her shoulder at him; he passed the milk to her and hopped on the counter, long abandoned by Mira, his head hitting one of the multiple pans hanging from the small pot rack above him. Lily laughed raucously, earning a two finger salute from Remus, which only made her laugh more.

“Cachau bant, I’m not sharing now.” Remus snarked pulling out his bowl and setting it on his knee, opening up his grinder when he was sure it wouldn’t fall, he packed the finely shredded bud in carefully, glaring at Lily as he did so. She just smiled wider and set a cup down beside his thigh and slid open the window.

“Don’t jest,” she said as she settled on the small bit of available counter that wasn’t sink or stove top across from him, leaning her head back on the cabinet hanging behind her. Remus brought the pipe to his lips and raised the lighter in his left hand and lit it against the top of the pipe, inhaling deeply. He passed the pipe to Lily, who repeated his actions as he blew out the smoke through the corner of his mouth. “So how was the rest of the night?’ she asked, exhaling smoke as she spoke.

Remus pulled the pipe from her hand without meeting her gaze, and took another hit. “Stay next time, and find out for yourself.”

“Oh so it went well,” Lily said excitedly taking the pipe when Remus offered it and taking a pull. “Ten quid Remus!” she sang hopping off the counter and dropping the bowl in Remus’ outstretched hand and picking up her tea cup. “I’m off to bed then.”

Remus watched her be-bop her way out of the kitchen to the right and out of sight towards her bedroom. He sat a moment longer, pocketing the piece and taking a sip of his tea, he wasn’t quite ready to stand. Remus was going to have make sure she didn’t win that bet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cachau bant- fuck you in Welsh


	4. Chapter 4

Dumbledore’s room was still moderately empty when Remus made his way into it come Monday evening, a knit hat pulled over his head and a scarf wound tightly around his neck covering half of his face to block out the frigid air. Lily and Tonks were pushing aside one of Dumbledore’s round tables and laughing loudly as they did so. The two of them had grown close last semester when Lily had played Sandra Dee and Dora had played Frenchy in their production of Grease; Lily had been the one to introduce Nymphadora to Remus when he had been released from the hospital. Remus had been meaning to talk to her ever since the semester had started but he had yet to find a spare moment with starting at the library at the same time as classes and those classes being much busier than he had anticipated for his senior year of university.

“Coffee?”

Remus physically jumped, startled out of his reverie. He turned to see James and Sirius standing in the doorway behind him, bundled tightly in protection from the snow and carrying multiple cardboard drink trays in their hands. Sirius had one eyebrow raised high, disappearing behind his messy fringe and an amused smirk on his face.

“You alright there mate?” He questioned.

“No.” Remus shot out, pulling his scarf away from his face. “I mean I’m fine,” he said calmer, “no to the coffee. I don’t really have a taste for the stuff, thanks though.” He turned back round, and walked to where Lily, now standing alone, was watching his interaction like a hawk. “Stop it.” Remus hissed taking off his hat and making to swat her in the side with it.

“Don’t have a taste for it?” She whispered back rather loudly, grinning wide, snatching the hat from his hands and pulling it on over her double plaits.

He ignored her in favor of removing his scarf and jacket, watching out of the corner of his eye as the brothers passed around the coffee to the rest of those needed for today’s scene as they trickled in.

James approached Lily with a single takeaway cup a proclaiming: “Godric’s Hollow” in a dark script and a silhouette of a large victorian manor under a full moon in his hand and offered it to her. “Vanilla chai for the beautiful Beatrice?” He said with a shy smile, bowing slightly and not looking up from his feet.

“Normally I’d tell you to sod off Potter,” she started, staring down at the offered cup, “but I made the chai this afternoon, so I know there’s no possible way you could have mucked it up. Give it here.” He lifted his eyes smiling wide and raised the cup to her.

“The lady honors me.” He gushed, grasping at his heart through his coat.

“Alright, now you can sod off.” She said taking the cup from him and turning to take a seat on top of the table her and Tonks had pushed against the far wall. Remus followed suit and hopped up next to her, dropping his things on the table so he could dig out his script and an orange highlighter from his bag.

“This will be a long one for me.” He told her flipping through the ten or so pages of scene one, noting his later entrance in the scene.  
“More time for memorizing Shakespeare,” Lily said smiling, already highlighting her pages; their fellow students were doing the same and talking lowly amongst themselves while McGonagall and Dumbledore set two small wooden chairs with sturdy looking arms at the center of the room. Dumbledore remained standing as Minerva moved to sit behind Albus’s desk, her cat mug tight in her grasp.

“It is time to start, I think. If I can have Ms. Evans, and Ms. Tonks up here with me, along with both Mr. Prewetts. Everyone else to the sides, get to know your lines and get to know one another, but be listening for me to call upon you.” The students did as they were asked, Lily patting Remus on the cheek as she jumped from the table.

Remus remained hunched over his script when he felt a presence drop down next to him, barely tilting his head in acknowledgment lost in a jumble of lines of old words. He looked up after he finished the page to see Sirius beaming at him, his legs crossed like a child, and his body thrumming with energy causing the whole table to vibrate.

“Sirius,” he said lowly, averting his gaze back down to the script in his lap.

“How’s it going mate?”

“Alright, you?” He replied still not looking back up, highlighting another line.

“Oh I’m lovely, opened the shop up bright and early and spent a few hours in the back baking, then ran through the snow to class; ran back through the snow to the shop to cover a call in with your lovely roommate, and now. I’m here.” Somewhere in the middle of Sirius’ soliloquy, Remus had looked up and locked eyes with him, a small smile growing on his face to match the one on Sirius’.

“What a day.” Remus muttered.

“I know, I haven’t had a second to even look at the script yet.”

“Well maybe you should do that now, instead of talking to me.” Remus said finally breaking eye contact and capping his highlighter.

“Fair,” smirked Sirius, “or you could go over the scene with me,” he said leaning in closer to Remus.

“I’ve got my own lines to learn” He said shooing Sirius from his personal bubble, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rise.

The two of them sat in companionable silence going over the scripts in their hands as Dumbledore blocked the opening of the scene at the front of the room. Lily was reclined over the arms of the chair, her script held lazily in her hand, cackling while Tonks danced wildly in front of her. Minerva was concealing a smile behind her steaming cup, and the Prewetts were bent over in laughter to the left of the girls.

“I suppose we could go over our bit together.” whispered Remus not looking up, but nudging Sirius with his elbow.

“Ohh, that we could do.” Sirius said, rolling his eyes and knocking Remus sideways with his own elbow. They turned to face each other more, climbing more on top of the table they were sat upon to do so.

Remus looked back down to the pages and cleared his throat. _“ Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?”_ His voice was light with a practiced tone of false excitement.

 _“I noted her not, but I looked on her.”_ Sirius said, bored.

_“Is she not a modest young lady?”_

_“Do you question me as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment: or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?”_ Sirius held up a hand to stop Remus from continuing. “I’m not in the right mindset of Hero being played by my young sweet, cousin yet.”

“You say “young cousin”. She can’t be more that a year or two younger than you, she’s a sophomore.”

“And you seem to know a lot about my _young cousin_ ," Sirius said piercing Remus with a look, causing Remus to merely roll his eyes. “What are you not sharing Mr. Lupin, did you share a tryst with my dearest of cousins?”

“Is that really any of your business?”

“Are you denying it?” Sirius asked, whispering harshly. Remus seemed taken aback by Sirius’ change of tone and dropped his eyes.

“We saw each other a couple of times, but it didn't really end up working out unfortunately.” Sirius guffawed loudly, causing Minerva to shoot the two of them a disapproving look from over her script. They both gave her an apologetic smile and lowered their voices. “We’ve become much better friends after the fact.”

“I don't even know how to feel about this,” his tone was perturbed and his jaw was clenched. Remus wasn't really sure what the problem was here, he'd never run into dating friend's cousins before, not having too many friends in primary school. 

“May we continue now?” Remus asked, clearing his throat and shuffling the pages in his lap uncomfortably.

“I suppose so.”

***

“Well that was extremely anticlimactic,” spoke Remus gruffly, as he tugged his knit cap off Lily’s head and back onto his own and began winding his blue and grey scarf around his neck.

“I know love,” Lily said also pulling on her own winter gear. “We’ll start with your bit tomorrow.” She assured as the two of them walked towards the door, her elbow linking with his.

“We were just, so, damn, close!” Remus replied punctuating each word with a stomp of his feet like a toddler would mid tantrum in the middle of a supermarket. Lily laughed and smacked him with her gloves before pulling them over her slim hands.

“Behave, you child.” She chided as they pushed through the front doors of the Theater and Arts building together. The two turned several feet out the door when the heard it crash open and clang against the brick. “Black,” Lily sighed as one of the two bodies came to a stop at their feet.

“Evans.” He responded brightly, and just a tad out of breathe, James came skidding less gracefully to stop, nearly slipping on the ice and falling over at Lily’s feet.

“Potter.” She said less amicably. 

“Evans,” James panted very clearly out of air and grasping his knees, “so glad we caught the two of you.” He righted himself and straightened his rectangular glasses, and gave the two of them a wide grin.

“Are you sure it’s the two of us you’re glad you caught?” Remus inquired with a smirk towards James, unwrapping himself from Lily and shoving his wool covered hands in his pockets.

“Hell yes.” roused Sirius his wide grin turning wicked instantly. “Care to join us and the rest of the cast for a pint at the Hog’s Head?” Lily grimaced visibly at the name.

“You mean the grimy pub near the south end of campus? The one with a good inch of beer on the floor, and reeks of desperation, self loathing, and cheap perfume?” Lily huffed disparagingly, shaking her head forcibly back and forth.

“The very same!” Sirius said his smile now taking up a good portion of his face. “It’s students night!” He cheered, as if that was all the explanation and reason they needed. Remus huffed out a laugh and looked over at Lily whose face was extremely unnamused.

“I think not.” She said with a turn of her heel and continued on the pathway, heading towards hers and Remus' apartment. 

“I think that went well,” snarked Remus, before withdrawing a hand from of his pockets to pat James on the shoulder and turning to follow after Lily.

“You know, I think it went well too.” 

“You know what? You're a fucking wanker!" James barked storming off in the same direction the other two had just gone, only turning left where they had turned right, leaving Sirius alone laughing maniacally and having to run to catch up with his brother or be locked out of the flat. 


	5. Chapter 5

Working at the library, Remus thought, had more perks than downsides; but just this moment, at 10:17 at night with heavy, wet snow falling down around him and his hands shaking as he fumbled with the keys to the building, he could not think of a single shitting perk. At last the door was latched and he shoved the keys deep in his pocket and withdrew his fleece lined mittens, pulling them over his hands quickly. Lily and he had parted after their two hour rehearsal, her heading back to their apartment claiming she didn’t want to miss Shark Tank _‘again’_ and him making his way to the research library on the far south end of campus.

He walked as quickly as he could through the empty campus, under the warm glow of the street lamps, and took note of an exceptionally noisy pub on the corner he was approaching. The wooden sign overhead declared it the “Hog’s Head” and he sighed, of course it was. He hadn’t taken much notice to his surroundings other nights on his walk home, but he’d only been at the library for two months now, and most of the time he was more preoccupied with trying not to fall in the ice or snow.

_This is just my fucking luck_ he thought tersely as neared closer to the noisy building; a man came crashing through the side door all flailing limbs and leather cause Remus to startle and nearly slip, and not for the first time that night. A loud chorus of Whitney Houston’s _‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’_ escaped with the man as the door resisted closing against the strong wind, he was singing along softly with the chorus. They nearly collided with each other as the other man came to a stop pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting up.

Remus scoffed loudly as he jumped back to avoid the collision, his hands flying out of his pockets to steady himself on the slushy sidewalk. The stranger looked up at the noise, only then noticing the other man on the curb.

“Oh, sorry mate,” he said pulling the fag from his mouth, the voice sounding familiar. “Remus!” The leather clad, not so, stranger cheered surprised. “Come to join us for a drink after all?”

“Not on my life,” Remus laughed eyeing the the loud pub warily, “I’m just on my way back from work.” he said, a lilt of humor present in his voice.

“I’ll walk with you then, we can’t have anyone jumping our fair Claudio.” Jested Sirius, offering Remus his elbow with a very firm look.

“Won’t everyone miss you?” He asked, pointing at James dancing monronicly with a thick orange scarf secured tightly around his head, a dazed but joyous look on his face, and his hands entwined with Gideon and Tonks’ above their heads.

“Nah, they’ll get by,” he muttered. “Won’t even notice I’m gone.” Sirius waggled his elbow emphatically towards Remus and raised his eyebrows enticingly. Remus swatted it away with a small smile but gave him a brief nod of approval and led on.

Sirius had to scurry to catch up with Remus as he started off again in the direction of his apartment, giving no warning before he began walking again. It remained silent for a while between the two of them as they navigated through the empty campus streets; the only noise between them the sound of passing cars and the blustery winds. Remus was focusing carefully on avoiding all the icy patches on the sidewalk while Sirius was just bopping along joyfully beside him chain smoking cigarettes to keep himself warm and his mouth occupied. He was the first to break the silence after he flicked the butt of his fourth in the direction of the gutter.

“So what’s your major?” He settled on, pulling out another cigarette and offering one to Remus this time, who took it and allowed Sirius to light it since his hands were still mittened.

“Secondary Ed, with a minor in theater,” he paused for a moment removing the fag and blowing out the smoke. “I have this idea of becoming my favorite English teacher from sixth form who was also my theater director, mad as a hatter, but a good bloke overall.”

“So a molder of young minds?”

“In a sense,” Remus had never really thought of it in those terms. They continued on for another block in silence, Remus’ apartment building coming into view in the very near distance.

“So that was part when you were supposed to ask me what I’m majoring in,” Sirius teased, knocking his elbow again with Remus’.

“Maybe I just don’t care.” Remus said cooly shooting a look in the other man's direction.

“Well. Maybe you’re a prat then.” Sirius stated matter of factly, surprising a laugh out of Remus, his head lolling back as it tripped out of him.

“I never said I wasn’t mate, but I’ll take the bait,” he said still chuckling. “What are you majoring in Sirius?”

“I thought you’d never ask dear Remus! A little of this, which I excel in mind you, and it a little of that which I do not, and bit of theater in between all that.” He smirked at the befuddled expression on Remus’ face and gave him an obvious wink.

“I’m so glad I asked,” Remus said dryly after a second of silence, wondering to himself, _what the_ fuck _that even meant_.

“It would have been rude if you hadn’t.” Sirius’ smirk just grew wider as Remus rolled his eyes towards the sky.

“How about your family then,” Remus asked looking back to the walk in front of him, narrowly avoiding an especially large looking slick patch.

“You don’t pull punches do you?”

“Would you prefer if I did?”

Sirius paused then and Remus stopped as well to look back at him. Their eyes met and Sirius shook his head quickly. “Don’t you fucking dare.” Remus nodded once and continued on, assuming Sirius would follow behind him.

“The Potter’s took me in,” he started as he hurried to catch up with Remus again. “When I was sixteen my mum and I got into this huge row and she requested that I leave and never come back. Euphemia, that’s Mrs. Potter, found out about it and nearly kicked in the door of my old family home just to help me retrieve a couple belongings, I moved in the next day.” Sirius let out a deep sigh and went to grab another cigarette from his jacket pocket and was remiss to find the box empty. “I received a court notice a few years after stating I’d been removed from my parents will and officially and legally disowned, which was honestly a fucking load off. I couldn’t help but keep feeling one day my parents were going to come busting into the Potter’s place and take it all away, and now-”

“What are the Potter’s like?” Remus asked, seemingly out of the blue and effectively cutting Sirius off.

“Bloody brilliant.” Sirius said with a smile so bright it could rival the sun. The two of them came to a stop at quaint sized grey and red brick building, with a large cream awning dipping low with snow and a welcoming facade.

They had reached their journeys end: Remus’ apartment building.

“Well this has been,” Remus racked his brain for the appropriate word, “amusing,” he settled on with a fond smile.

“I live to amuse Remus Lupin, you’ll soon learn that.” with that Sirius turned and left, and Remus could only watch him walk the way they’d just come, a warmth spreading through his chest.

***

Remus crept silently up the three flights of the stairs to the the apartment he and Lily shared, and shot a glance at the watch on his right wrist; It was closing in on half past eleven. It had taken almost twice as long as it usually did for him to make his way home tonight and he cursed under his breath, praying Lily was already asleep tucked away nicely in her room.

His keys jangled loudly as he pulled them from the deep confines of his coat pocket and fell swiftly to the floor, he ducked quickly to retrieve them and fell back on his tailbone hard as the door was wrenched open loudly, startling him. He looked up sheepishly to see Lily standing there a hand on her cocked hip, wrapped tightly in a light blue dressing gown, with her hair piled high on top of her head, and a bemused look on her delicate features.

“And what sort of time do you call this?” Her tone was worried and motherly but her expression was fond as she stared down at him flat on his arse. “No call? No text? I thought you were lying frozen in a damn ditch!”

“There are no ditches between the library and here Flower.” He muttered, rising slowly with his keys grasped tightly in one mittened hand, keeping his head bent with his chin tucked closely to his chest.

“Don’t ‘Flower’ me you arse,” she said haughtily moving aside. “Now,” her tone taking on a softer quality, “inside with you.” He met her eye with a smile and bent to press a quick kiss to her cheek as he scurried through the door. Lily closed it behind the two of them, securing the locks, and followed behind Remus to his bedroom. She stopped at his door and watched as Remus shed his outerwear and took a seat on the bed to begin untying his hi-tops. “So, care to explain?”

Remus sighed and dropped the shoe he’d just removed. “No need to fret Lils there’s nothing to explain, my phone died. That’s all.” He gazed up at her with a reassuring smile and went about removing his other trainer.

“Yes I’d figured that out for myself thank you, I’m referring to the fact that the latest you’ve been so far is eleven, and it’s going on half-past now.”

“I was finishing up the outline of my essay for my Problems in Shakespeare class; this professor is a real hardass and I really need to impress her.” Remus dropped his other shoe and met her gaze again, she was watching him carefully.

“And the phone at the library?”

“I love you Lily, but I can hardly remember my own phone number on a good day.” She rolled her eyes at him and cracked a smile. “I’m sorry my phone died, and I’m sorry I worried you. You should get to sleep, you have a class in the morning.”

“Remus,”Lily started, taking a step into the room and away from the safety of the doorjamb she’d been leaning against.

“Lily,” he cut her off standing and shooting her a bored look knowing full well where this conversation would head if he didn’t stop it in its tracks.

“Your health-”

“Is fine!” Remus snapped. Lily’s eyes went wide with his sudden outburst, and she retreated back to the door. Remus’ face instantly smoothed to apologetic and he reached out a hand to Lily. “Sorry Flower,” she touched her fingertips with his and nodded; Lily grasped the door handle in her hand and pulled the door shut behind her, leaving Remus with his secrets for now.

***

There was a rowdy cheer as the bell above the door of the Hog’s Head chimed as Sirius reentered the building, heavy clumps of snow on the shoulders of his leather jacket and in his shaggy hair. James ran over with a wide smile on his face, his thick rimmed glasses slightly askew, and dark hair positively wild.

“Mate! Where the hell have you been?” James asked as he curled an arm around Sirius’ shoulder and pulled him towards the bar. “You missed _'Dancing Queen'_ , and I know how much you love _'Dancing Queen'_!”

“What are you on about James?” Sirius asked flagging down the bartender, “I just stepped out for a smoke.” He turned his full attention towards James who seemed confused for a minute before simply shaking his head, as if rearranging his thoughts, and nodding. Fooling James was really that easy sometimes. Beers in hand the two turned and walked to a high-top table in the corner next to a dart board, boots sticking with each step.

Sirius retrieved the two sets of darts from the board and passed the red set to James and kept the blue for himself. “Loser buys the next round?”

“I think I had one to many rounds while you “popped out for a smoke,” I’m seeing two of you right now.” James squinted and stared intently at Sirius before taking a big gulp of his beer and stepping up to the line to throw.

“Oi! What’s that supposed to mean?” He watched as James’ dart landed far right of center, and shoved his brother aside to throw for himself.

“Just that I know you were gone longer than you said; twin telepathy.”

“First, we’re not twins, and second, we’re not even blood brothers.” James gasped, clutching at his chest in mock horror.

“How can you say that Sirius, after all that we’ve been through.”

“And people say _I’m_ a drama queen.” Sirius rolled his eyes and marched up to the board to pull the darts from the board and thrust James’ into his hand. “Stop being a twat, or I’ll leave your arse here.”

“But you already left my sweet arse here.” James whined, throwing another dart, this one landing closer to center.

“I don’t think I said anything about sweet, and all I did was walk around the block as I had my smoke. Last I checked we’re both adults here, I don’t need to check in whenever I go on a little walkabout.”

“Alright mate!” James clasped Sirius on the shoulder and drew him in close patting the top of his disheveled head clumsily. “Just don’t go running away on me Pads.”

“Not planning on it Prongs,” he hugged the other man back for a moment before shoving him away sharply. “Now get your filthy fucking hands off my hair!” James cackled maniacally and skipped off through the pub with Sirius hot on his heels.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the later posting, and for this being a bit of an odd ball chapter  
> Thank you to everyone for reading, and the kudos <3

Remus was awoken bright and early at a quarter to seven by Lily banging on his door loudly and repeatedly. She entered his room without waiting for a response and knelt down beside the side of his bed, she placed a large strawberry shaped kitchen timer on his nightstand.  

“Lily, what-” Remus said blearily, but Lily cut him off, covering his mouth with a delicate hand.

“Just listen, I’m running crazy late. My uniform is in the wash, I need you to be at Godric’s Hollow with it at midday. The timer for the washer is going to buzz in an hour, you’ll need to go throw it in the dryer for me.” Lily leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek and quickly stood and rushed out the door.  

Remus blinked a couple of times, used to this type of behavior from Lily, and rolled over to get another hour of sleep.

 

***

 

The second time Remus woke up that morning was an hour later to the obnoxious noise of the timer ringing beside his head loudly, he groaned inwardly and sat up stretching out his back; the cat was meowing and scratching something nearby. He climbed out of bed and grabbed a large grey jumper off of his desk chair and pulled it on over his crimson henley. Mira bound down the hall from Lily’s room to curl around his bare legs as he opened his bedroom door and exited his room. He leaned down to scritch behind her ears before making his way out of the hall and sliding on a pair of pink loafers that were parked on the mat beside the door.

Remus slipped out of the door quickly, knowing Mira to make many escape attempts whenever the door opened, and ran down the three flights of stairs to the lobby, then hopped in the ancient elevator to go down one more to the basement. Remus avoided the elevator as much as he could, not trusting the older buildings rickety mechanics, and he appreciated the opportunity for indoor exercise away from the cold and people. He peeked his head outside of the elevator, looking around for their über creepy landlord Mr. Filch; not hearing a noise he scurried out of the elevator and around the corner into the tiny shared laundry room.

 Lily had flagged her washing machine in the back corner with a green heart shaped sticky note with a small flower drawn on it, Remus made a beeline for it and lifted the lid to the dryer next to it to pile the clothes into. He quickly switched the load over, tossed in a dryer sheet and set the cycle. Remus escaped the basement unscathed and jogged back up the three flights of the stairs to the apartment.

Mira was waiting for him just inside the door as he removed the gaudy loafers, meowing loudly for his undivided attention. Remus ignored in favor of heading straight into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove, flipping the hob to high, and pulled the sugar from the cupboard and the milk from the fridge. He set both down on the counter before returning to his bedroom to grab a joint he’d pre-rolled and a lighter from the top drawer of his small desk, almost whacking the door against it as he came back into the room, and grabbed his laptop off the moderately cluttered surface of the top.

Remus scooped up Mira on his return trip to the kitchen and placed her on the counter, stroking her long silver fur several time before smooshing his face into her side and sighing. The cat tolerated it for a moment before oozing out of his grasp and attempting to lick his face instead. Remus chuckled and righted himself as the bright white kettle behind him started to whistle.

He made his tea and took his many accoutrements to the couch, and settled in to its comfy cushions to actually work on the outline he had told Lily he had already finished the night before.

 

***

 

Godric’s Hollow was a darkly painted shop on the corner of a busy street, not too far from where Remus and Lily lived, with large windows that’s spanned the whole shops sides, and a large dark purple ornate door on the corner with a silver lion shaped door knocker hanging in the middle. Remus didn’t frequent the shop often, preferring a proper cup of tea over coffee any day, and really why go out when you can make that at home, AND for pennies.

There was a soft tinkle as a bell above the door sounded off his entrance, and feint music was playing overhead. It was five minutes to twelve when he arrived and he looked back and forth for his dear redhead.

“Remus! I’ve never seen you in here before, what a surprise.” Said a loud jovial voice from behind the counter where James Potter stood with bright smile on his face, and his hair just as disheveled as it had been that night at the The Broom Sticks.

Remus still did not know that much about James Potter. And he really doubt that what he had learned from Lily and his own drunken adventures with the man really had anything to do with who he actually was.

James was a tall, brown skinned, thinner gentleman with muscular looking arms and broad shoulders. He had large hazel eyes with thick eyelashes hidden behind thick rimmed rectangular glasses and a wild mane of black hair that stuck out at wild angles everywhere, but mostly in his face. He was dressed in a black shirt that declared “Godric’s Hollow” in light grey proudly across the chest, with a green and blue flannel thrown over it, and many, many pens shoved in the breast pocket.

“No I was just—”

“Looking for Lily? She just phoned to say that she’s on her way, and to yell at me to have the order to review the second she walks through that door.” Remus huffed out a laugh, covering it by adjusting the bag on his shoulder. “Can I get you something while you wait?”

“Oh I don’t really drink coffee, sorry.”

“HA! Don’t apologize mate, mum makes an amazing masala chai, old secret family recipe, I’ll get you a cup. On the house.” James said cheerfully, turning around and grabbing a large black mug from one of the racks of many different sized and colored mugs.

“I couldn’t—”

“Already doing it Remus.”

“I this another attempt to get me to help you woo Lily?”

“Is it working?” James asked hopefully pulling out a steamer cup from under the dark orange counter flecked with bits of black.

“I guess that will depend on how “amazing” it really is.”

James let out a hearty laugh and gave Remus a wide friendly smile. “ Go find a seat mate, I’ll bring it over in a few.” With that Remus was dismissed and left the counter to look around the bustling shop.

It was crowded to say the least, but not just from the slew of people bent over tables typing away at laptops and scribbling at papers. There were chairs shoved in every imaginable space, many with tables shoved in next to them where they fit. Nooks and crannies had been forged out of tall, wide bookcases, spilling over with books of every size and shape and genre. Most of the furniture in the shop looked overstuffed and comfortable, and absolutely none of it matching; most stayed in the neutral tones of tan and grey, but every now and then there was a gaudy pop of yellow or green, or even tucked far in the back was what looked like a fuzzy high backed magenta chair next to an ornate grandfather clock. It was all very odd, but had that very cozy feeling of being at home.

Remus found a lone dark blue armchair next to a small round wood table and settled in. He pulled his laptop from his bag and set it up on the table and dug his headphones from the deep confines of his bag and began to unwind them from the figurative cats cradle they had wound themselves into since the last time they had been used.  

The large cup and saucer was placed down next to his laptop and he looked up to thank James but was moderately surprised to see Sirius standing there, his trademark smirk present on his face.

This close up Remus noticed a small silver piercing in his left brow he had never seen before, and a couple in both ears seeing as this was the first time the other man’s longer shaggy hair was pulled back in a ponytail in Remus’ presence. He too was dressed in the black Godric’s Hollow shirt, though the writing on his was a shimmering gold, and he wore a red flannel over it. His black trousers had holes in the knees and splattering of paint in odd places, both markings seeming to be man made as opposed to those manufactured in shops. Sirius paired it all with a well worn pair of black Doc Martens, also splattered with paint, and a surplus of pens shoved in his pocket.

Before either of them could say a word Lily came rushing through the door, the bell ringing loudly, her dark hair swinging around her wildly as she looked around frantically for Remus. He lifted the bag over his head as she came hurrying over and grabbed it out of his hand with a kiss in his direction as she made a mad dash to the ladies.

“She really hates being late doesn’t she?” Sirius asked breaking the silence between the two men.

“Understatement of the year.” Remus stated, chuckling lowly picking his cup up and breathing in the deep aroma of cinnamon and cardamom. He took a small sip of the hot liquid and sighed pleased, James wasn’t lying, this was amazing.

“Would you like me to leave you alone with that?” Remus looked up to see Sirius still standing there, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and a bemused look on his face.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” murmured Remus, “I think I’m going to propose.”  Sirius barked out a loud laugh, keeling over and slapping his knee.

“And how will you break the news to Mr. Potter?” He asked still laughing hard.

“I was referring to the tea,” answered Remus rather plainly, causing Sirius to break into another fit of laughs. “If you’re quite finished, tell James I owe him one.” Sirius sobered in an instant meeting Remus’ dark honey eyes.

“You didn’t!” He bemoaned, scrubbing his hands through the faint about of dark scruff on his face.

Remus shrugged, taking another sip of the delicious drink. “What’s the harm in indulging him? I’ll be getting a laugh out of it.”

“You’ve seen how insufferable he is now! You’re just gonna give the man false hope!”

“I didn’t say anything about false!”

“Sirius!” Chided Lily returning to Remus’ side shooting the two of them questioning looks. She was now dressed in a dark pair of high waisted blue jeans with her Godric’s Hollow shirt tucked into it and her hair pulled back in a low chignon. “Go help James on the counter.” Sirius stood up stock straight and gave her a mock salute before giving Remus a sly wink and walking nonchalantly back over to where a line was forming at the counter.

“Do you enjoy bossing people around Flower?” Remus joked as Lily handed back his bag so she could pull on a light green cardigan.

“It’s a definite perk of being the assistant manager.” Lily smirked as she clipped two fine point sharpies to her sweater by the cap and attached a name tag over her right breast. “What were you two getting all heated about?” She asked, raising her eyebrows at him quizzically.

“Brexit.” He deadpanned, not meeting her eye.

“You are, the _worst_ liar,” she said rolling her eyes but moving on. “Are you sticking around for long?”

“Just for the hour, I’ve got a short shift at the Library before rehearsal.” She stroked his curls twice and nodded in affirmation. “What’s up with you and running late today?” He jested, poking her in the ribs with a slim finger.

“I had a big test in my afternoon class,” she said jumping away from his fingers, “and I slept like bollocks worrying about it for no reason. It was _beyond_ easy!” Lily said, rolling her eyes at her own overreaction. “I need to get to work before those morons start mixing up disgusting drinks again.”

“Well hop to it then.” He said laughing, watching as she walked through the shop smiling at all the customers as she went and crouched beneath the counter to get to the other side to grab a clipboard from beside the espresso machine. James and Sirius were bantering away easily between each other making drinks as they did so, and tried to pull Lily in to their conversation as she scanned the list on the board. She shook her head with a fond smile on her face not even looking up and walked through the swinging door to the back, flipping them the bird as she went.

  Remus chuckled again and looked away at the chattering boys, focusing back in on the task in front of him, he took another large sip of his drink, and got to work.


	7. Chapter 7

“From your line again please Severus, if you would.” Said Minerva from where she sat perched on the edge of Dumbledore’s desk, her cat cup clasped between her hands. The man himself was lounging in the windowsill again, his eyes closed and a pleased expression on his face as he merely listened to the goings on in the room.

Snape sighed, as if put out by the request not even bothering to raise his script, and turned to Gideon on his left and spoke in a wavering voice; _“I thank you: I am not of many words, but I,”_ he paused and looked down at his feet before he spoke again softly. _“Thank you.”_ With that he turned and exited the stage and sat with the rest of the cast.

Gideon looked to James on the other side of him and offered him a hand with a grand gesture, _“please it your grace lead on?”_

James took his arm graciously with a laugh _“Your hand, Leonato; we will go together.”_ The two men exited the small area of the room they were using as a stage arm in arm, leaving Sirius and Remus the only ones on the makeshift stage.

Remus crossed to Sirius at the front of the space excitedly, holding his script lightly in one hand. _“Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?”_

Sirius for his part, took a sip of the coffee he held in one hand and looked at Remus boredly over the script he held in the other, _“I noted her not, but I looked upon her.”_

_“Is she not a modest young lady?”_ Remus questioned expectantly, rounding on Sirius, his voice rising slightly.

_“Do you question me, as an honest man should do, formy simple true judgment; or”_ he paused drinking from his cup again and taking a hard seat on the floor his legs sprawled out in front of him facing towards Minerva on the desk. _“Would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?”_

_“No,”_ Remus said, taking a seat next to Sirius,keeping his appendages tucked closer to his body. _“I pray thee speak in sober judgement.”_

_“Why?”_ Sirius asked in a mocking tone. _“I' faith, methinks,”_ he tilted his head as he pretended to think deeply making a constipated face as he did so; Remus had to hide the urge to laugh behind his script. _“She's too tall for a great praise, too brown for a fair praise and too lean for a large praise:only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.”_ Sirius shook his head defiantly and took another swig turning bodily away from Remus.

_“I pray thee tell me truly how thou likest her.”_ Remus pressed shoving at Sirius’ shoulder.

_“Would you buy her, that you inquire after her?”_ Sirius asked over his shoulder back at him, quirking one perfectly plucked brow.

_“Can the world buy such a jewel?”_ Remus inquired excitedly jumping to his feet and staring down at Sirius.

_“Yea.”_ Sirius deadpanned lounging back to rest on one hand to stare down Remus intensely. _“And a case to put it into.”_

“Thank you gentleman!” Cheered Dumbledore clapping his hands together twice and standing up from the sill, effectively cutting off the scene going on in front of him. “I think that’s where we will leave it for today. Be free.” A low chatter started around the room as the rest of the cast packed their belonging into their rucksacks and began to make plans, and discuss shared classes.

“And I was just getting into it,” said Sirius loudly to no one in particular from where he still sat on the ground.

“Yea,” Remus agreed, still staring down at him and stretched out a hand to help Sirius up. “I know exactly what you mean.” Sirius took the offered hand and rose to his feet, holding it a second longer than was probably necessary, before dropping it and giving the other man a demure look.

“Have you any plans for the rest of the night?” Sirius asked Remus as they too gathered their things together.

“On a Wednesday night? Let’s see, I’ve got got an essay to draft out, a quiz to prep for, I’ve my regular schoolwork I have to finish up, and I have to do it all at my place of employment. Big plans!” Remus said sarcastically, giving Sirius some half-assed jazz hands. “You?” He asked, ducking his head as he tucked his script carefully into a grey and leather messenger bag that was covered in an array of pins and badges.

“Making an appearance at the Hog’s Head with James, but just a quick nip. I too have a paper to get done here sooner or later.” Sirius said, the barest trace of disappointment present in his tone. “I’ll see you around then,” he continued, more his jovial self, scooping up his bag and cramming his script none to delicately in the open pouch.

“The library.” Remus blurted out nonsensically.

“Pardon?” Sirius asked, his eyebrows raising and his normally posh accent becoming more French.

“The research library on the south side of campus,” Remus specified more clearly. “That’s where I work.”

“How rude of me not to ask. Sounds like an excellent place to get some work done.”

“About twenty percent of the people who come in actually see it that way,” retorted Remus as Lily approached the two of them, a knowing look on her elegant face.

Her auburn hair was pulled back in a French twist with many flyaways escaping in the front,and was dressed in a cream turtleneck, dark blue skinny jeans, and knee high brown boots. She had a green wool coat draped over her arms, and a black pocketbook slung over her shoulder.

“Black.” She said with a coy smile.

“Evans.” Sirius replied, easily just as coy, but a tad shocked at her acknowledgment of him.

“Don’t you need to be getting to work Remus?” Lily asked brightly turning to pin Remus with that knowing look again.

“In a minute, Flower.” Remus grit out, narrowing his eyes in retaliation. Sirius let out a small uncomfortable bark of a laugh causing the two of them to break eye contact to look back at his sheepish expression.

“Sorry to break up what I’m sure is going to be a very interesting conversation,” Remus scratched the back of his head self consciously, “but James looks like he’s about to have a fucking conniption if I don’t join him.” They all searched the room for James, where he did in fact look stressed standing nearing Tonks and Gideon, and clearly ignoring everything they were saying in favor of watching the three of them. Hazel eyes comically wide behind his squarish frames and mouth agape as he clenched his coat and script tightly between his hands.

“What. An. Idiot.” Lily sighed, rolling her sparkling emerald eyes. Sirius laughed again loudly causing James to yell audibly across the room.

“OI!”

“And that’s my cue,” Sirius chuckled, bowing his head slightly at them before crossing the room to join his brother and punching him hard across the shoulder. Remus and Lily shared a laugh as they watched James jump back and grab his arm at the sight of the affliction, his face looking taken aback.

“Work Remus?” Lily reminded him and pulling her coat on; she did up several of the buttons under her breasts and straightened the hem at the midpoint of her thighs.

“Yes mum,” hissed Remus, hip checking her as he passed by and giving a friendly wave to James and Sirius, who were both now watching Lily and him, as he left the classroom.

 

***

 

Remus hadn’t been lying earlier when he said only about twenty percent of the library patrons visited to accomplish any type of work; in the last two hours alone he had broken up three couples in various stages of undress tucked in the many dark corners of the stacks. This was noted amongst many other things on the Library staffs Things to Do list which was printed annoyingly in comic sans on bright pink paper and hung in various sections for the employees to view, but a rule Remus steadfastly ignored unless extremely necessary.

And extremely necessary had come to mean two things for Remus. One, if it was loud enough to be heard from the staff desk. The research library was four floors, with a basement and private study rooms, if he had to hear you fornicating in a library this big he was going to break it up. And he was going to make you pay for interrupting his studying. Second, was if he had to shelve a book, and you were in his way. The building closed at promptly ten o’clock, and so far in the last two months with the library Remus had learned that the best course of action was to shelve all return books from quarter to nine till five to ten and save the rest for whoever was there in the morning. No one could enter the building without a school ID so he wasn’t needed to sit at the desk, and at that hour if you weren’t already there there wasn’t a point in showing up; and again if he caught you at this point. Really? You could hear Remus’ approach from yards away, the book cart he was pushing having to be as old as the building itself and sounding like oil has never touched its wheels.

That’s where he was now, weaving his way through the multitude of bookcases on the third level in the middle of the 500’s: Natural Science & Math, the cart rolling loudly across the dark uneven hardwood floors. He had a calculus textbook balanced on the top bars as he went along, stopping every so often at the end of a row of shelves to set a book back in its place, or to scribble on the paper he had shoved within the pages.

Remus was dressed in a, slightly larger than necessary, midnight blue fisherman’s jumper with black skinny trousers and an older looking pair of grey boots with black laces. He had a second pencil tucked in behind his left ear, and his light curls were a wild mop on top of his head. His phone vibrated softly in his back pocket indicating it was ten to ten and time to finish up and make his way back down in the service elevator.

Remus used the intercom system on the phone to inform the few stragglers hurriedly scribbling over their books that the library would be closing momentarily and to please “get lost, or else.” He printed the cash report, counted up the deposit, checked his email one last time and did a final sweep of the popular hot spots before gathering his belongings from the staff office. Remus pulled his grey knit cap over his head and pulled on a yellow and grey striped scarf Lily had knit him as a gift last year for Hanukkah, before pulling on a black military style jacket and slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.

He had locked up and walked down a few of the large steps leading up to the building before he realized there was someone sitting at the bottom of them in a puddle of lamplight. The man turned at the sound of Remus’ boots clomping on the granite steps, a wicked smile across his devilishly handsome face.

“Remus!” Sirius cheered, hopping to his feet, clutching a takeaway cup in each hand.

“All right?” Remus said, staying a step above the other man.

“Chai?” Sirius asked, offering a tall steaming Godric’s Hollow cup to him.

“Are you taking the piss?” Inquired Remus bewildered, taking the cup. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to walk you home, is that not obvious?” Sirius punctuated the question with a sip of his own drink.

“I suppose it is, I guess the bigger question is why?”

“Like I said earlier, I had an appointment at the Hog’s Head with James, then I popped home to work on my paper. Now I’m here with you.”

“That doesn’t really explain it all,” pointed out Remus, savoring the rich taste of the tea.

“It’s late Remus, just let me walk you home,” Sirius said. His tone leaving no room for argument.

“Alright, alright !” Agreed Remus, raising his hands in defense before leading on, Sirius quick on his heels.

“How was the library? Catch any couples snogging?”

“Only a couple, and it was terribly boring. But I get paid to do my schoolwork, So it’s all worth it in the end right?”

“I’d say you hit the jackpot as far as jobs go.”

“I suppose,” Remus chuckled.

“You know, you didn’t get to tell me about your family the other night.” Sirius said after they had walked for a couple of blocks, already passing by the, much quieter this time, Hog’s Head.

“My parents live in Anglesey on a small farm out in the middle of nowhere, mum was born and raised there. Dad’s from Poland originally, but moved to Birmingham when he was a lad. They met at the University there in their first year, but moved back to sheep country to have me, and be closer to my mums parents. That’s about all there is.”

“Significantly less drama than my life I would say,” joked Sirius, taking another drink from his cup. “Can you speak any welsh?”

“A fair bit,” flushed Remus, catching Sirius’ smirking face in the lamp light. “How about you?”

“Not a lick, but I grew up learning french from my parents.”

“Oh, are they French?”

“No, just fucking pretentious,” spat Sirius, causing Remus to laugh somewhat uncomfortably. “Sorry. And technically that’s not even true, we’re very, very, french. Old blood. ”

“Ah, understood,” assured Remus with a soft smile, they were nearing his apartment again.

“I like the accent, but there’s a bit of something else to it I noticed while we were running lines.”

“Oh dad is full Brummie, he’s right posh. It’s rubbed off a wee bit.” Remus said with a far away look on his face.

“You know you’re right posh too.” Sirius say’s slowing down to a stop recognizing Remus’ building.

“Don’t let the accent fool you Sirius, I’m no posh boy like you.”

“I’d like to argue for former posh boy if I could.” Sirius snarked, looking up at the building; it wasn’t large, standing at just five stories, and only offering thirty-five apartments, but it was nicely taken care of. There were no cracks in the bricks, bright cheerful holiday lights hung in the trees outside, and there was a doorman sitting in the lobby. “Is Lily expecting you straight away?”

“She is _apparently_ not home,” Remus said surprised, sliding off a mitten and checking his phone. “Alice and Frank had a big fight so she’s staying with her tonight.” He looked up from his phone and caught Sirius’ eye. “Why?”

“I just,” Sirius started a his voice a little unsure, pulling a carefully rolled up bag of fresh bud from his tight back pocket of black trousers. “Interested?”

“Come right up” Remus invited, already pocketing his phone and leading the way past the bored looking doorman reading Crime and Punishment with his legs propped up on his desk, Sirius hot on his heels with a wicked grin on his flushed face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance, there will be no new chapter next week. I will be out of town for a wedding all weekend.   
> Thank you all for continuing to read :)

Remus opened his front door slowly, having already warned Sirius of Mira’s desire to escape; she was nowhere in sight, having sensed the two sets of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. He flipped the lights on inside the door, and allowed Sirius to enter the apartment before him.

“Shoes,” Remus said in an authoritative tone, closing the front door and locking it behind him. He removed his own tan boots and placed them on the mat before he crossed the room to the kitchen in his stocking feet. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Have you got PG Tips?” Asked Sirius, bent over removing his Doc Martens.

“We keep a strictly PG household-”

“I should hope not,” interrupted Sirius as he rose to his normal height of five eleven, giving Remus his wicked grin as he unzipped his jacket.

“Har- har. Milk and sugar?”

“No sugar, splash of milk. Have you a place I can throw my jacket?”

“Literally anywhere,” Remus said dryly pulling down two matching white mugs and filling the kettle. “Just take a seat, I’ll bring it in when it’s ready.”

Sirius removed his leather jacket and threw it over the back of the wooden chair sitting at a small computer desk, and finally fully stepped into Remus’ apartment. The main room of the apartment was painted the standard apartment eggshell/cream/beige whatever you wanted to call to it, which contrasted nicely with the natural dark hardwood flooring, and was a good size.

There was a small upright grand bucked up against the corner on the short wall, covered in a bevy of scores and loose pages of sheet music. Several tall bookcases lined the wall behind the large cozy couch housing all of Remus’ and Lily’s books, there being not much room for the shelving units in their respective rooms. There was a small dining room table, situated across from the couch, with just enough room for four places, if you squeezed, sitting in a pool of lamplight streaming in from three large windows looking down into the courtyard. A fourth window on the side wall showed access to a small red fire escape.

The TV sat on top of a tall chest of drawers, turned in to face the couch. On the wall, hung like a disproportionate couple, was an acoustic light wood guitar next to a more delicate, darker violin. On top of every available flat surface were different breeds of plants and flowers, they were taking over most of the dining table now. And hung like spots on a teenagers face in bouts and spurts on all of the walls were polaroid pictures capturing their years of friendship.

Sirius spied a pair of bright yellow eyes watching him look around from under one of the dining chairs and he instantly fell to his knees beside the table cooing. “Well hello, gorgeous,” he cooed lovingly, reaching out a hand with his fingers curled under for her to smell. The soft elegant looking grey cat crawled out slowly, keeping her belly low to the ground and nudged her face against Sirius’ hand; apprehensive at first, then with fervor.

“She’s usually a lot harder to tempt out,” Remus said in awe as he exited the kitchen, taking in the sight of Sirius on his knees rubbing on his cat. He took a seat on the couch behind him and set the two cups down on the coffee table between them, before shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over the back of the couch.

“What can I say,” Sirius said lowly scritching the cat behind the ear and turning to pin Remus with his piercing silver eyes. “Pussy’s love me.” Remus snorted loudly and chucked a flat throw pillow at Sirius’ head, hitting Mira instead causing her to scurry out of sight fuming, probably to scratch up Remus’ dresser in retaliation.

“You tosser.”

“That I am,” agreed Sirius, picking up a tea cup and the discarded pillow before joining Remus on the cozy couch.

“So why come and walk me home tonight, is this all part of James’ mad scheme to hook up with Lily?” Inquired Remus reaching for the other cup and settling into the deep recesses of the couch, pulling his legs up and curling them beneath himself.

“James is not smart enough to come up with any sort of fleshed out plans having to do with the lovely Ms. Evans.” Sirius deadpanned causing Remus to snort surprised, almost shooting tea out of his nose, and coughed harshly. “You alright?”

“Quite,” Remus said coughing a few more times to clear his throat. “How long have you known James exactly?”

“Since we were eleven; both of our parents shipped us off to the same bloody boarding school in the hills of Scotland. We’ve been roommates for thirteen years of our lives now.” Sirius said slightly awed at the realization, sipping loudly out of his tea cup.

“Thirteen years?”

“Seven years of schooling, one year abroad backpacking through the country, staying in hostels and driving our parents fucking mad with worry. Then straight here to university where we couldn’t bear to be apart from each other. It’s borderline unhealthy.”

“Borderline?”

“Well aren’t you just full of sass tonight Mr. Lupin?” Teased Sirius lifting a socked foot to kick at Remus.

“Lily would argue most nights.”

“And how long have you known Ms. Evans?”

“I thought this wasn’t a reconnaissance mission -” Sirius raised his hands in defense and asked Remus to continue. “We met in a musical theory class freshman year, both of us were living on campus and were paired together for a project, but her cunty roommate kept getting upset with-- Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You just- You just swore.” Sirius said, eyes wide with wonder his eyebrows high behind his fringe.

“What about it?” Remus said rolling his eyes and taking a long sip from his cup.

“You really don’t seem like the type mate, what with the sweaters,” he said gesticulating to Remus’ outfit, “ and it’s been about a week since we’ve met and you haven’t _once_  in my presence yet.”

“So you’ve got problems with what I wear now too?”

“What no?! I like your old man sweaters! I’m just saying you work in a library, you wear sweaters-”

“Sirius I invited you up to my apartment to smoke.”

“It’s my weed!”

“Would you like it if I went and got my own from my bedroom?” Remus’ questioned, his own eyebrows high behind his fringe of loose curls. “Did you think you were corrupting me Mr. Black?” He asked in a darker voice, narrowing his eyes accusingly at him.

“You’re just not what I expected, Mr. Lupin” replied Sirius. He stood suddenly and fished out the baggie from his back pocket again and waved it temptingly.“Shall we?”

 

***

 

“Have you got any snacks?” Sirius asked slowly from where he was laying on the floor next to Remus in his bedroom, running his hands lazily back and forth across his plush cranberry colored carpet.

Remus turned his head to look at him; the whites of his silver eyes were tinged with red and staring up at the ceiling, his shoulder length hair splayed out around him like a halo, and his luscious mouth was hanging open ever so slightly. He looked like the best wet dream of Remus’ life. “I think I’ve got some Monster Munch in here, or there’s loads of crisps and stuff back in the kitchen.” Mumbled Remus, roused out of his filthy thoughts.

“Monster Muuuunch!” Groaned Sirius, making grabby hands at the air like a hungry toddler.  
Remus chuckled as he heaved himself off the floor and climbed over Sirius body, smiling down at him as he did so, amused by his childlike display. He pulled open the bottom drawer of his nightstand and procured a large colorful bag boasting: “ natural cheese and onion flavored hunks” and a purple wrapped dairy milk bar for himself.

“Heads up,” he said tossing the Monster Munch in Sirius’ direction, watching as it bounced off his chest and landed on the carpet beside him.

“Cheers,” Sirius said sitting up and leaning against the bed before ripping open the bag and shoving a handful of the odd shapes into his mouth, chewing loudly with a sated smile on his face.

Sirius’ loud crunching was the only noise in the room for a while before it all got to be just a bit to much for Remus and he moved from where he was leaning against his rickety nightstand, the lamp fighting to stay upright. He crossed to his dresser on the opposite wall and dropped the needle on the old record player sitting on the top. The song started low at first, just some drums and tambourine, before the horn and harmonica really got going and the jaunty singing started.

“See, this makes more sense for you,” Sirius said through a mouthful, he swallowed and cleared his throat before continuing his train of thought. “Tucked away in a library, wrapped in a bloomin’ large sweater with a cuppa and Dylan singing at you from an old record player.”

“And I’ve ruined that vision for you now? You wanted to ruin that for yourself.”

“It’s just interesting to see I wasn’t all wrong. And you’re not some delicate princess to corrupt Remus, I just wanted a smoke and to get to know you.”

“What would you like to know boyo?” Remus asked joining Sirius on the floor, ignoring the grin on his face, and leaning against his dresser across from him. He slyly tucked into his chocolate bar and slipped a square into his mouth when Sirius wasn’t looking his way.

“What’s Anglesey like? James and I have been to Cardiff a few times for a do but, never ventured anywhere else in Wales.”

 _“Ynys Môn,_ is just about the most Welsh place you can visit. Mum grew up in Aberhonddu, about three hours south of the aisle, on a sheep farm, but always wanted to be nearer to the coast. She got some of that when she moved to Brighton for university but, there’s something about Anglesey that’s like pure magic to her.”

“I’d assumed _‘Ynys Môn’_ is Anglesey, but you lost me with _Aber-_ ”

“Brecon.” Remus supplied, missing that he’d slipped in the Welsh names with his inebriated state. “Anyways, I grew up in _Amlwch_ right by the coast in a white cottage on a big fucking hill with a huge garden my da is never not in and chickens he treats like his second children.” He smiled lazily in remembrance of the beautiful countryside and his parents soft reserved faces.

“What about your mum” Sirius asked around another cheesy mouthful.

“She wasn’t around much. She works a government job, spends a lot of time at the office.” Remus answered solemnly ducking his head slightly, hiding the hurt in his eyes.

“What are you hiding over there?” Sirius asked suddenly catching a flash of purple in Remus’ hands. “Are you hoarding fuckin’ chocolate over there?”

“It’s my last bar,” whined Remus, looking sheepish and hiding the evidence behind his back.

“What is it, what’s your favorite? I’ll buy you more, I swear!” Cried Sirius emphatically climbing up on his knees and crawling over to Remus like a dog.

“You are fucking ridiculous, there is other chocolate in this kitchen.”

“Other chocolate? What’s so special about that chocolate Lupin?”

“It’s mine! Now get out of my face, Black.”

“So bloody ridiculous, making me get up and go to all the way to kitchen to get chocolate, when he’s got perfectly good chocolate right there he won’t share with his mate.” Grumbled Sirius the whole way to kitchen, stomping his stockinged feet the whole way, wrenching Remus’ door open when he had risen to feet.

“Don’t stomp wanker, you’ll wake my neighbors,” called Remus slipping another piece of chocolate in his smiling mouth.

“Don’t stomp, don’t eat my chocolate,” mimicked Sirius as he pulled open random drawers noisily, rifling through a few promising ones but finding nothing. “Oi! Where’s the chocolate Lupin?!”

“Bottom left hand drawer of the fridge,” said a soft feminine voice from behind Sirius.

“JUDAS PRIEST!”

“It’s in the fridge, why are you screaming out- LILY!” Remus cried, joining the kerfuffle in the entranceway; finding Lily standing in the doorway of their flat with her arms crossed and a bemused look on her face. Sirius was standing flat up against the fridge clenching his chest and gasping hard. “I thought you were at Alice’s?”

“She called Frank and they sorted the whole mess out, turns out it was one big misunderstanding.” Lily said not taking her piercing green eyes off of Sirius.

“Frank being a tosser again is he?” Sirius quipped, looking between Lily and Remus, his eyebrows raising high behind his messy black fringe; crossing his own arms across his chest.

“A bit, he misinterpreted a text from her lab partner and got all up in a tizy,” Lily began finally breaking eye contact to remove her coat and boots. “I talked Alice into calling him, but then it took awhile for him to pick up his phone and actually talk to her,” she continued as she squeezed past Sirius in the small kitchen to refill the kettle and place it on the hob.

“Oh.” Supplied Remus plainly, waiting for the ‘I told you so bomb’ to go off.

“Can I get you a cuppa Black?” Lily asked opening the cupboard of mugs and shooting a look at him over her shoulder; her red hair was pulled back in a single, somehow intimidating, French plait.

“I ought to head out,” Sirius said trying to catch Remus’ eye. “Your lovesick puppy will start to wonder where I am.” He crossed the room to the computer chair and pulled on his leather jacket, zipping it three quarters, before perching on the edge of the chair to tie up his paint splattered Doc Martens. “And I don’t need him pissing on the carpet again.”

“Oh please. Don’t tell him I was here he’ll think it’s alright for him to just come up and talk to me.”

Sirius let out a loud bark like laugh as he stood, his shoulders shaking madly. “I solemnly swear,” he remarked raising his right hand. “Remus it’s been a pleasure,” he said turning to the taller man leaning hunched against the wall worrying the end of his sleeves nervously, a weak smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

“Bugger off now, you ponce,” Remus said the smile widening shoving Sirius closer to the door, and opening it for him.

Remus closed the door abruptly in his face to the sound of Lily’s chiming laughter, her hands grasping her knees for support as she bent over gasping for air.

“You are so screwed.” She finally managed to wheeze out between laughs tossing a kitchen towel at his head. “And it’s Tuesday pay up you bastard!”

“Not. A. Word. Evans.” Remus grit out as he banged his head repeatedly against the front door as Lily cackled behind him filling two cups with piping hot water.

“Just hand over my tenner and I’ll shove a sock in it Moony.” Lily said offering him a cup with one hand and holding out the other hand waiting.

“Nothing happened Flower,” Remus said turning around. “I don’t know why you think something bloody well did. He just came up to smoke.” He took the cup from her and slapped away her outstretched hand and he walked towards the couch and plopped down onto it next to Mira.

“Because he’s fit, and because you get that dumb _“moony”_ look in your eyes whenever he opens that plump mouth of his.” Lily explained taking a seat on the couch next to him, pulling Mira up onto her lap.

“I’m not a fucking queer Lily!” Remus shouted, exhausted by this whole conversation.

“Since when do you have a fucking problem with queers?” She tossed back, flustered at Remus’ outburst.

“I don’t! I’m just- not one! Okay! End of conversation.” Remus said defiantly standing up from the couch meeting her eyes and stomping off to his bedroom. Slamming the door loudly, rattling the photos on the walls.


	9. Chapter 9

Remus had been doing his best to avoid Sirius, and his beautiful… everything, for the better part of a the week speeding straight out of the arts building after rehearsal on Wednesday and fist-pumping into the air over not being needed at Thursday’s. But his grand plan fell apart like a dam made of tissues washed away by a monsoon when he heard Sirius Black himself laughing heartily with his “Problems in Shakespeare” professor. Remus spied the two of them at the the front of lecture hall seven, at five to two come Friday afternoon.

He slouched further down in his seat, situated in the middle of the lecture hall, and observed the two from behind his messenger bag he’d just slung up on the desk before sitting down. Sirius was wearing his black leather jacket, that Remus realized clung tightly to his -strong- shoulders and -muscular- arms, unzipped over some dark colored band tee Remus couldn't quite make out the name of. His eyes trailed down on their own accord over his strong legs covered in a medium wash skinny jean, that clung to his ass perfectly and was rolled at the ankle; marrying beautifully with a deep red pair of Doc Martens with untidy black laces.

Remus couldn’t have told Lily what his professor, a short man by the name of Filius Flitwick, was wearing that day to save his life if she were to ask him. He was almost positive he couldn’t speak at all in that moment.

Was Sirius actually in this class? And had it really taken Remus a full two months to notice? Actually that second one didn’t come as much of a surprise to Remus, if he had a class with a pal? Great! If he didn’t? He was more than happy to just sit in silence for four years, make no new friends, and pay close attention in his classes. He shrank further still when he saw the two break apart and Sirius make way for the furthest of the four aisles up the lecture hall and take a seat high along the far wall beyond where Remus could watch him.

 _Bloody perfect._ Thought Remus pulling out his notebook and pen, dropping his bag on the floor beside his well worn leather boots. He pushed up the sleeves of his cream cable knit sweater roughly and mused his tawny hair before leaning on his right elbow to mentally block out Sirius and take notes with his left. _Shakespeare, Romeo, Iambic Pentameter, Benedik, Sirius, FUCK. NOT! What! He needed right now. He did not need to be thinking about his very fit castmate who was most_ DEFINITELY _out of his league. And most_ DEFINITELY _not queer._

_FUCK!_

Flitwick was really starting to prattle on now at the front of the room and so far Remus had only caught every other sentence, at best. His notes consisted of four legible lines, seven not so legible, and three drawings of a constellation he also couldn’t Bleeding remember the name of right now when it really hit him. He was _absolutely_ FUCKING sideways, _Lily was right._ He hardly even knew the man or if he even fancied men, or if Remus himself wanted to admit that he-

He shook his head casting that thought out of his mind. Remus just knew how desperately he wanted to talk with Sirius more and hear that bark like laugh come out of his mouth just for him, and just tuck away with him in his room talking and laughing and smoking.

 _Lily was so fucking right!_ He cringed, _how the bloody hell did she do that?_ He thought angrily, pounding his fist against his forehead. He tried focusing back in on what Professor Flitwick was saying as he grinned cheerily by the projector system, but the man's light voice merely bounced around Remus’ head before finding their way back out again.

Remus dropped his heavy head to his desk and groaned audibly, resound to comprehending absolutely nothing for the rest of the class, in favor of catching up on his sleep.

 

***

 

Sirius hadn’t heard a word of what Professor Flitwick was jabbering on about since he had left him at the front of the room and instead was consumed with sketching in his notepad; his legs were kicked up on his desk with the pad balanced on his thighs. Mindlessly letting his pencil sketch what it wanted to. He was jolted back to the class, and made aware of his surroundings again, by the sound of a large thump followed by a long muffled groan.

He dropped his boots to the ground and glanced around the classroom, swiping up and down the rows a couple of times before coming to a stop at a honey brown curly head resting on top of a closed blue notebook. His face was turned toward Sirius, eyes closed, and he could make out a dark row of eyelashes brushing the dusting of freckles across the tops of his cheeks. Sirius hadn’t realised how much he’d missed looking at that face the last couple of days not seeing him so much at rehearsal.

He smiled as he stared over at him, watching his face scrunch up before relaxing and scrunching up again, before his amber eyes flew open meeting Sirius’ across the room. His own eyes widened in shock before he schooled his looks back into his usual wicked grin and shot Remus a wave. The other man gave him a tired, small, smile accompanied by a wave of the hand and closed his eyes again.

Sirius could feel the skin on the back of his neck warm up as he smiled to himself and turned his attention back to his notepad where he’d been sketching the same handsome lanky man. There were multiple mindless sketches of how his memory had remembered Remus, but looking at him now he realized his mind was so wrong.

His curls were much looser than what he had drawn, his nose so much less severe and there was a scar that crossed diagonally across the bridge that he had missed all together. Sirius withdrew another pencil from behind his ear with new fervor and began sketching the man again paying attention to all the details he’d missed before, till there on his page was an almost perfect replica of the man snoozing on his desk.

Class was dismissed, unbeknownst to the still sleeping man a few rows down and just a few rows over. Sirius chuckled to himself as he packed his things into his patch and marker covered rucksack, plotting out the best way to wake him. He snuck down the aisles carefully before stopping directly behind Remus and dropping both of his ringed hands on his shoulders and proclaiming loudly: “Hiya Lupin!”

The man flailed, nearly falling to the floor, and whipped his head around to see Sirius, giving him his signature wicked grin and chuckling lowly at Remus’ outburst.“Fuck! You twat, you scared me half to death.” Remus said grasping his chest, his eyes wide.

“Sorry Lupey, completely not my intention.” He said patting him on the shoulder as Remus gathered his scattered belongings into his bag.

“I’m going to need you to refrain from calling me “Lupey” in the future,” Remus replied dryly, looking up at Sirius from under his eyelashes causing him to melt ever so slightly.

“I didn’t realize you were in this class.”

“Oui, but I also didn’t realize _you_ were in this class.” Sirius said as the two of them walked towards the classroom door together. “Are you doing anything right now? Want to come with me to the shop?”

“I’ve got work in a couple hours, so I suppose I could join you. Lily’s there anywhere.”

“What a rousing response, thanks Lupey.”

“I’m serious.”

“Well I’d prefer if you didn’t say the “s” word.” Serious snarked back, elbowing Remus as they walked down the hall to the main door of the Language Arts building.

“S-word?”

“You knoow.” Sirius drawled motioning to himself dramatically.

“I think we can call that a fair trade.” Remus said flashing Sirius a shy smile and shoving him back.

 

***

 

Lily was working the counter at Godric’s Hollow when the bell above the door rung signalling Sirius, followed by Remus, coming into the shop. Her dark wavy hair was falling loosely over the shoulders of her black uniform shirt that she had tucked into a mustard yellow tea-length skirt, with a short black apron tied at her waist. She smirked as she saw the two men walk in together bickering loudly.

“Moony! What are you doing here?” Lily called waving at him from behind the counter as she handed change to a customer.

“Moony?” Sirius whispered, reaching out and nudging Remus again. He had a habit of doing that a lot, just constantly reaching out for physical contact when talking to people.

“Not important,” whispered Remus quickly. “Lily, can’t I just come see you at your place of employment?”

“What?! You have never once-”

“Alright! No need, Flower. Sirius asked me if I want to come round after class.” Remus began pulling his mittens from his hands and unwinding a deep plum scarf from around his neck, before taking off his dark grey wool coat.

“I thought he might need a pick-me-up after his nap in class,” teased Sirius as he too removed his coat.

“No need to rat me out Black!” Remus barked swatting at him with his mittens, but a small grin present on his pale freckled face.

“What, is she your mother Lupin?”

“Oi! She’s also right here, also why are you sleeping in class Remus? Are you feeling alright?” Lily questioned, her emerald eyes darting back and forth between the two men on the other side of the counter. The shop had emptied quite a bit since the men had arrived, it was that awkward time between the afternoon and after work rush.

“She is your mother,” Sirius chuckled ruffling Remus’ hair as he walked around him to duck under the counter to make himself his extremely specific coffee order.

“Chai, love?” Lily asked, bringing Remus’ attention back to her and off of Sirius’ slim hands as they grasped a steamer mug and pulled the lever to steam his almond milk for his latté.

“Please, and I’m fine. Just a headache.” He said giving her a private smile, one coined specifically for her, telling her all she needed to know.

“Make a tall chai for Remus while you’re back here Black, I’ve got to run out back and call Marls. She’s running late again.”

“Tell her if it’s her car again, I can go grab the Phoenix and pick her up. I don’t have anything going on tonight, I’ve just got dinner with the parents at six.” Sirius offered not looking up as he popped a lid on one cup before grabbing another from the stack.

Lily stood there silent for a moment, here eyes wide in shock, before giving Sirius a noise of approval and ducking under the counter and through to the back room, her phone clasped in her hand tightly.

“And what is a “Phoenix”?” Questioned Remus grabbing a seat at the counter and throwing his belongings on the stool next to him. “Other than a mythological creature, that is.”

“My motorbike,” Sirius said plainly. “And it’s _The_ Phoenix”, he finished placing a cup in front of Remus, a devilish grin present on his face.

“Of course it is. Of course “Mr. Leather” owns a motorbike.” Remus muttered, taking the cup Sirius had offered him. Ignoring his dumb handsome face.

“Is that a problem?” Chuckled Sirius stepping up to register to help a customer, regardless of the fact he wasn’t on the clock.

Remus watched the interaction as he sipped at his chai. The customer was a young woman, she looked about their age, with long blonde hair and a bright charming smile. She laughed at everything Sirius said and reached to caress his arm when he handed back her change. The whole thing made Remus’ skin flush with jealousy, and make him grip his cup just a tad tighter. He felt a hand drop lightly on his shoulder and turned to see Lily standing beside him also watching the scene before them play out.

“Every. Single. Day.” Lily whispered, watching as the girl took a napkin from the counter and a pen from Sirius’ pocket and presumably wrote her number down for him.

“Seriously?” Remus whispered back watching her wink at Sirius and fucking sashay out out of the building.

“That’ll be 50p!” Chirped Sirius walking back over to the two friends. “In the jar,” he said waggling a large jam jar with a ridiculous picture of him flipping off the lens taped to it.

Remus really had to stop thinking there was a difference between Sirius’ smirks and his regular face because that smirk was never not present on his handsome face; drawing Remus’ eyes to his luscious lips.

“Are you-”

“Joking? Is that what you were going to say? And no I’m not,” Sirius smirked, continuously waving the jar in Remus’ face until he dug out the change in his pocket and dropped it noisily among the rest. “Thank you for your contribution Remus,” he said with a wink. “Do I need to grab Marleen?”

“Yeah, her engine’s giving her trouble again,” Lily said crawling under the bartop again. “Stop stealing money from my roomate, you pig.” She added in her disapproving tone, swatting at him with a dish-rag.

“Effie’s rules Lily!” Sirius sing-sung as he danced away from her whipping towel, and ducked back under the bar, poked Remus in the ribs, and skirted out of his reaching grasp too.

“How is this a functioning place of business?” Asked Remus quietly to nobody as he sipped at his tea and smiled to himself, feeling lighter that he had in months.


	10. Chapter 10

The next time Sirius was able to get any alone time with the alluring Remus Lupin was Tuesday of the next week, after a long and boring three hours of blocking out a scene where the two were hardly even involved with each other.

Sirius slowly approached the other man having watched him for a moment while he packed up his belongings into his rucksack, Remus was starting to pull on his winter gear when Sirius tapped him on the shoulder with a broad smile on his face and his other hand deep in the pocket of his slick black leather jacket.

“Remus, why is it that I can never seem to get you alone?” He started trying to ease into a conversation that Remus would hopefully be drawn into.

“False, seeing as you’ve been in my flat. Why, is there something you want to ask me?” Remus asked, somewhat flustered by the sudden appearance of the handsome man.

“Not specifically,” smirked Sirius. “More like I enjoy a good chin wag with you.”

“Oh fuck off,” laughed Remus. “Boring ‘ol me?” He finished packing his things and pulled on his black coat and yet another colorful scarf. Remus started heading towards the door when Sirius grabbed him by the elbow and spun him to face him.

“I think you’re rudy brilliant,” he rasped out their faces inches from each other, color flushing his cheeks. Remus’ eyeline was just a couple inches above his own, so he didn’t have to strain to meet his warm amber colored eyes.

“Padfoot! Enough making googly eyes, mum will be up in a tizy if we don’t show up to dad’s party!” James called from the door of Dumbledore’s office, pulling on a maroon hat with a lion crest on the front and a large golden yellow pom-pom on the top.

Sirius sighed out through his nose and closed his silver eyes, dropping his head to Remus’ shoulder. The other man huffed out a laugh and pat him on the shoulder softly his face flush with embarrassment.

“Just come along you tossers, the more the merrier!” Yelled James leaving the two men, exasperated at Sirius’ brothers bad case of “head up arse”.

“That’s brilliant!” Roused Sirius, his head flinging up quickly and narrowly missing Remus’. “Come with me to the party; you can meet the Potters and they can dote all over you, and pick on James for not bringing a date.”

“Wait, you’re asking me on a date?” Remus asked quickly, his cheeks darkening further.

“Or, not” mumbled Sirius stepping back from Remus and looking down at his boots.

“No! It’s just… I’ve never-”

“Oh.”

“It’s not that I don’t fancy-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me Remus, I’ve been there before. How about you come along with me as my mate then?” Sirius said softly smiling up at Remus’ scrunched up face. Remus let out a long breathe before smiling back at Sirius and giving him a small nod.

“Alright we should get going then, James wasn’t joking when he said Mum would yell at us, she’s been planning dad’s party since Diwali.”

 

***

  
The Potters lived in a large white and brick house at the end of the lane with other large beautiful houses with immaculate lawns and flower beds surrounding it on boths sides. There were red and gold balloons tied to the front railing leading up the walk to an intimidating red door with an ornate gold lions head knocker. Remus shielded himself behind the other two men as they bustled right through the door not hesitating to wipe their feet on the mat like him, leaving him standing in the entrance way when a petite Indian woman appeared in front of him.

She had thick black hair piled on top of her head carefully, framing her beautiful tanned face that bore a large pleasant smile. Her eyes were the exact same hazel as her sons and he could see so much of James in her friendly face. She was dressed in a navy blue churidar, with ornate umber stitching with pants of the same color; and she was absolutely radiant in every way.

“I’m Euphemia Potter!” She said cheerily pulling Remus into a crushing hug, “welcome to our home, who might you be?” He dwarfed her by comparison, her barely coming up to his chin, and laughed heartily at her outright comment.

“Remus Lupin ma’am, Sirius brought me. I hope that’s no trouble,” Remus answered sheepishly looking around for the dark haired man as she withdrew from their embrace.

“No trouble at all dear! The more the merrier, is our house motto!” She said patting his chest affectionately, “now how about we get you a drink and find those boys?”

“Yes ma’am,” muttered Remus, his smile widening, as he began pulling off his coat and scarf.

“Effie, or mum Remus. No ma’am in this house understand?” She said rather sternly with a wave of her finger, before smiling again and leading him past the the main stairwell wrapped in red and gold streamers, down a hallway covered in picture frames filled with photos of James and Sirius hanging off each other, and through a swinging door into the kitchen.

Sirius was standing at the island in the middle of the kitchen, looking like a deer caught in headlights, a glass of amber liquid in his hand halfway to his mouth and his coat lying next to him on the counter while, Remus guessed, James was rifling through the tall stainless steel refrigerator noisily. He couldn’t exactly see his head right now tobe sure.

“It is not polite to leave your guest in the entryway Sirius, you know better than that,” Euphemia scolded, coming around the island to wrap an arm around Sirius’ waist. He dropped a kiss on her head with an embarrassed look towards Remus. “James Fleamont Potter, get your head out of that damned fridge. There is plenty of food out on the patio with the rest of you fathers guests.”

James shut the fridge quickly and turned towards his mother smiling, a half eaten cold samosa clenched in his left hand. “It was a long train ride,” he moaned, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.

“It is an hour ride from Kings College, that’s hardly long young man.”

“I don’t see you getting after Sirius for getting into dads whiskey already!” James shot back, gesturing towards Sirius, who looked appalled at his his brothers complete lack of a backbone.

“Sirius has a guest.”

“Whom he left by the door, may I remind you?”

Remus was entirely unsure what to do in this situation, gripping his coat and scarf, standing in a strangers kitchen. Invited to a party for a person he didn’t know. His instincts to run were kicking into high gear.

“My apologies by the way,” Sirius said bowing his head in apology in the other man's direction. “I forgot he doesn’t know his way around the house yet, can I get you a drink Remus?”

He stood silent and still, his eyes flashing between the three expectant faces. “Uhmm- whiskey I suppose.” Remus mumbled before his eyes finally landed on Sirius cool and calm face, he could almost see a hint of worry behind those silver eyes.

“I can do that,” Sirius chirped happily with a large smile growing on his face.

“And I can take your coat dear, James go find your father and let him know you boys are here please.” Effie swatted the back of her two boys heads playfully, a motherly smile on her soft face. She took Remus’ coat from him, and reached up to press a kiss onto his cheek before heading down another hallway.

“Alright there mate?” James asked, clasping Remus on the shoulder as he made to walk past him. Remus gave him a swift nod and a small smile, which James returned tenfold, before leaving him alone in the kitchen with Sirius.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Sirius said handing Remus a glass of liquid so close to the color of his eyes. Remus let out a small self-deprecating laugh and took a swig, wincing slightly.

“It’s a lot,” whispered Remus as Sirius drew nearer to him. “A lot to a uh... take in,” he specified speaking up. “My family is nothing like this.”

“Oh, neither is mine. That’s why I’m grateful I met James when we were back in school, I’d probably be dead by now if it weren’t for him and his family.”

“Sirius-”

“No it’s fine.” Sirius downed the rest of his glass and grabbed the bottle off the counter. “Come with me?”

“Yeah... feel like we’re gonna need something stronger than whiskey though.” Remus said eyeing the bottle than Sirius’ very collected face, the bright lights of the kitchen glinting off his eyebrow piercing.

“It’s all taken care off,” Sirius’ assured leading Remus back down the hallway Euphemia had brought him down earlier and up the grand staircase. Sirius’ room was the second one at the top of the stairs and painted, ironically Remus was sure, black with a large shiny silver doorknob.

“Really?” Remus quipped, raising an eyebrow, eyeing the dark door they stood outside of.

“I was young,” Sirius snarked back opening the door. “And Effie let me do whatever I wanted with the room when I moved in. The door is part of the room.”

Remus merely hummed in agreement and looked around the large room.  
Three of the walls were painted a dark plum with band posters plastered floor to ceiling, the fourth had a meticulous mural of swirling blues and greens on a light grey background. A large mahogany four poster bed piled in pillows and blankets and draped in curtains was shoved in a corner and there were half empty bookcases on a purple wall opposite one with two doors. The windows were large stretching nearly five feet tall and covered with black curtain flecked with gold stars and constellations. Somehow it all screamed Sirius to him.

“So this is your childhood bedroom?”

“From age sixteen on, yeah.” Sirius said nodding, toeing off his shoes by the door and crossing the room to crawl on top of the bed. He pat the space beside him and Remus followed suit; removing his shoes and joining him on the bed. Remus took the bottle from Sirius’ hand and refilled his glass. “Like I said, my mum and I got into a huge row the summer after my sixth year at boarding school. It was implied I should leave, so I ran away before they could force me out, but not like my parents didn’t where I was, not after Effie got a hold of them.” He said snatching the bottle back from Remus and swigging straight out of the top.

“She called them?”

“She practically beat down their doors,” he clarified. “I left in a bit of a hurry, didn’t pack a lot of things, they wouldn’t let me back in the house... afterwards. Put bars on the windows so it was impossible to sneak in. She raised quite a stink right there in the middle of the high street, till Walburga opened up, then just bustled in right past her. It was a sight I would have paid to see, James swears mum shoved the old bat to the floor and just stepped over her writhing body.”

“Why’d you two have a go at each other?” Remus asked quietly, emptying his glass and taking the bottle back. Taking a drink from the bottle instead if filling his glass again.

“I was planning on doing community theater over the summer…. I was actually in the show. We were a week from opening,” Sirius said a bit sullenly pointing towards a poster for “Rent”.

“So she disapproved of…”

“Well theater is gay Remus.”

“Excuse me?”

“Theater is gay, and theater breeds homosexuality. I told her that that didn’t really matter since I’d know I was queer since I was practically walking, but in most of my family’s eyes homosexuality is the worst sin a Black could ever commit. We got into it, screaming back and forth till she called my father to beat the shit out of me. I didn’t intend to wait around for that one more time.”

“One more time?”

“Orion Black has quite the temper,” he chuckled darkly, attempting to take back the bottle from Remus. Who only gripped it tighter forcing Sirius to meet his eye.

“Sirius-”

“Remus, I’m okay now. Really,” he assured taking the bottle back from him and taking a long drink. “Three years of intense therapy, a whole slew of medications, and the Potters-.” Sirius cut himself off and met Remus’ worried eyes with a wide smile. “Wow that was depressing, what about your family Lupin?”

It was Remus’ turn to chuckle darkly at himself and steal the bottle back taking a long drink, to steal his nerves. The bottle was nearing half empty now. “Well it’s not like they beat me or belittled me like your lovely folks, complete offense towards them intended, it’s more they just treated me like I didn’t exist.” His face dropped, and his amber eyes darkened as he gripped the whiskey tight in his fist, it had stopped burning his throat a while ago. “I was always a sickly child, almost died when I was ten.” Remus coughed clearing his throat.

“Cancer. I think they had really accepted that I was going to die, drew up all the plans and everything, because after I recovered… it was like I wasn’t even there anymore. When I got sick again last year, it was like a light switched back on and they could see me again.”

“We are fucking tragic,” barked Sirius laughing loudly, knocking his shoulder into Remus’.

“Just a bit,” Remus laughed back leaning into Sirius. “But we made it through. My mum’s parent’s moved in when I was a teenager and my granny, she’s a fucking firecracker. Only spoke welsh, bloody swore like a fisherman, and drove like a bat out of hell. Changed my life completely.”

“That explains all the sweaters.”

“Ha! No, that’d be my grandad. Knits these for me, sends them to me all year long.” The two men shared a fond smile and a short laugh, knocking shoulders. Outside, far below the windows, the party was in full swing. A five piece band was playing loud big band music in the gazebo covered in tiny twinkling lights and more gold and red streamers. The party goers were dancing and chattering loudly in the cobblestone back garden, and no one noticed the two missing boys.


	11. Chapter 11

 

“Moony?”

“Hmm?”

“No, I’m asking where the nickname came from you dolt.” Sirius chuckled, looking up at Remus’ slack face.

His head was resting across the other man's thighs, outside the party had died down, and inside the two of them had created their own tiny little world. Like their own pocket dimension, tucked away safely in the confines of Sirius’ teenage bedroom, surrounded by the smoke of the joint the two of them were passing back and forth lazily. Some time ago

“Oh,” Remus said plainly letting out streams of smoke from his nose like a dragon. “That’s an embarrassing story.”

“It usually is if it earns you a nickname,” Sirius shot back, taking the joint from Remus’ lax fingers.

“Well, freshman year of uni. Jesus. Lily and I got so hammered after our first big exam in one of our teaching classes- I can’t even remember which one-”

“Hold on,” Sirius started clambering upright again, sitting very closely to Remus. “Evans. Hammered?”

“This whole excursion was her plan, mind you.

“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.”

“Anyways… drinking ensues, some wanker starts coming onto Lily, and I was getting pretty punchy. We all end up getting kicked out pretty quickly, then I moon the bloke and trip over my own pants and break my fucking nose on the curb. Had to walk six blocks to the hospital, ruined my favorite jumper ”

Sirius maintained hard eye contact with Remus for as long as he was able before doubling over in loud laughter, gripping Remus’ shoulder in support.

“You wanted to get in a fight? Is that how you got the scar,” he finally managed, in between choked out laughs, softly dragging his index finger across the bridge of Remus’ nose.

“Yeah,” muttered Remus lowly his cheeks flushing with color, watching Sirius’ hand as he withdrew it slowly and placed it back in his lap. He coughed loudly to clear his throat and looked up to meet Sirius’ silver eyes with his own amber ones, and smiled at the slight flush on the other man’s cheeks as well.

Sirius flicked his old fashioned butane lighter against the dark denim on his knee and relit the joint that had gone out and took a long drag, inching closer to Remus as he did so. He lifted one ringer hand to the back of Remus’s loose sandy curls and drew his face nearer to his own gently taking in the faint freckles dotting his face, and the way his eyes had large flecks of gold that reflected every bit of light. Remus parted his lips slightly, an invitation if Sirius had ever seen one, and Sirius let out the lungful of smoke he had been holding. Watching intently as Remus inhaled.

Remus closed his eyes as he exhaled and relaxed into the touch of Sirius’ hand carding softly through the hair on the back of his head. He opened his eyes slightly and took the dying  joint from Sirius’ hand and sucked the last bit of smoke from it and held it in his his lungs for as long as he could manage. He kept his eyes on Sirius’ lips as he leant in slowly, keeping a millimeter of space between the two of them he exhaled, and before his nerve left him completely, pressed his chapped lips lightly to Sirius’ just once before pulling away shyly.

Sirius’ eyes widened as he coughed on the smoke, a wicked grin forming on his beautiful face and he tried to gain his composure while simultaneously hacking up a lung.

“Not. Fair.” Sirius managed between coughs, watching a sly grin grow on Remus’ hair through the veil of his long black hair.

“Fair?” Questioned Remus, his grin growing watching Sirius regain his breath.

“Yes, fair. I was planning it out,” Sirius explained. “I was going to continue to woo you-”

“Continue?”

“You ask a lot of questions mate.”

“I’m naturally curious.”

“Yes. Continue to woo you, I thought I was wooing you.” Sirius stated, now a little unsure. “Were you not wooed by me walking you home and by the chais and my overwhelming charm?”

Remus guffawed loudly causing Sirius to shove him again playfully.

“I can’t say I _wasn’t_ wooed. More unaware that there was any actual wooing going on.” Remus clarifies, scratching the back of his head, feeling his neck flush hotly.

“Wait, so you’re saying I have wooed you?”

“If I say yes can we both agree to never say the word “woo” again?”

“Agreed.”

“Yes, Sirius. I fancy you.” Remus admitted shyly, ducking his head as he did so.

He could feel the room spinning slightly but he couldn’t tell if it was from the smoke or from the admission. He felt Sirius lay a steadying hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see him beaming at him, his silver eyes absolutely sparkling in the low light of the room.

Remus couldn’t resist the urge to lean in again and place his lips against Sirius’, he relished in the softness of them. Sirius’ hand on his shoulder trailed slowly up his neck to wind in his hair to pull him closer and he was lost in the kiss. Their mouths opened against one another with a sigh, their tongues became entwined, and he gripped Sirius’ shoulders for dear life. Afraid the other man might drift away.

Sirius abandoned Remus’ lips in favor of kissing across the line of his chin and down the corded column of his throat. Remus made a noise of approval in the back of his throat, turning his head to give Sirius better access while he wound a hand in his luscious black hair and gripping tightly.

The banging of Sirius’ door flying open and hitting the wall cause the two of them to jump apart, eyes wide and chests heaving.

“Padfoot, you wanker! If I have to hear one more fucking story from dad's old-”

“James! Really?!”

James paused halfway through the door, his mind catching up with the scene he had just interrupted. Remus’ sweater at a jaunty angle, his face flushed a dark red, his hair an absolute mess, and Sirius seething on the bed next to him. Equally as ruffled.

“Fuck, sorry I-”

“No! Back out and knock! Mums rules!”

“Sirius!” James whined petulantly, but Sirius silenced him with a piercing look. Beside him Remus stifled a bought of laughter with a cough, as he watched James dejectedly turn around, slowly close the door and knock loudly three times. Sirius pressed one more searing kiss to Remus’ smiling face before separating and calling out a bored “come in.”

“Thank you,” he said pointedly as James slammed the door and came to plop down on the floor next to the bed, his back resting against Sirius’ nightstand.

“Fuck off. Sorry Remus, how’ve you been mate?” James asked, taking off his black rectangular glasses and placing them on top of his thigh. He rubbed a hand over his hazel eyes and through his unkempt mane, and pulled his one hitter from the pocket of his jeans.

“Alright. Better. You?”

He lit the metal cigarette with Sirius’ offered lighter and inhaled before answering Remus’ question. “Lonely, Remus. Very lonely. The love of my life still refuses to acknowledge me and all of my advances! And my own bloody brother abandoned me at the dullest party on this planet. I have nothing.”

“Oh good, Jamesy found the schnapps down there. He always gets very dramatic when he’s had schnapps,” Sirius groused; rolling his eyes and leaning back against his headboard.

“I am not being dramatic!”

“You’re being a bit dramatic James,” Remus agreed. “I’ve already told you, she doesn’t hate you, you just need to figure out a better way to approach her.”

“Like not being a prat.”

“Thank you Sirius,” Remus said giving Sirius a look; watching as James reached up and smacked Sirius on the leg halfheartedly. “But he has a point, ninety percent of what I hear from Lily about you is that your prat. She can’t stand all the joking around and pranking between you two at work, she thinks it’s immature and childish. Also she is crazy fucking busy, and she works really fucking hard for what she has and what she wants. So stop trying to ask her out at work, or it’s never going to happen.” James was watching him with eyes wide, and the metal cigarette halfway to his mouth hanging loosely from his hand.

Sirius too was agape, after listening to Remus talk with such fervor and intensity, ad for probably the longest amount of time since they had met.

“Teach me your ways,” muttered James.

“Will I live to regret this?”

“Oh most definitely,” Sirius responded at the same time James whooped in glee.

“Fantastic,” deadpanned Remus rolling his eyes and thumping his head back against the wall.

“So you’ll help me get in Evan’s good graces?” James asked excitedly, climbing to his knees in a pleading manor and grasping at one of Remus’ bony ankles tightly.

“Against my better judgment, yes. James I will help you woo Lily.”

“I thought we agreed not use that word anymore.” Sirius piped up, giving Remus a sideways glance.

“What would be a better term in these circumstances then?”

“Court? Romance? Seek the hand of the fair maiden Evans? Take your pick Lupin”

“If you’d seen right after she’s woken you’d think she was anything but a fair maiden,” laughed Remus, seemingly forgotten James altogether.

“Ha! The hand of the Evans wench then!”

“Oi! I’m right here you nutters! Don’t you go calling her a wench you greasy bastard! She is a perfect fucking angel sent from heaven above, no matter what she looks like after she's just woken up!” James roared jumping up from the floor and waving a hand wildly in Sirius face, his own face turning from the sudden outburst.

“My hair is not greasy you ponce!” Yelled Sirius as he sprung from the bed and tackled James to the floor. The two were a mess of limbs flailing and fighting for control as they wrestled around on the floor; a stray foot kicked the nightstand sending the lamp wobbling and crashing to the floor.  

“Fuck.” They said in unison both out of breath as they flopped onto their backs onto Sirius black shag carpet.

“Mum’s going to kill you,” Sirius whispered poking James in the in the side of the head.

“Me?!” James replied indignantly, swatting away Sirius’ prodding fingers and sitting up quickly to access the damage. “Ah, it’s just the bulb that’s broken. We should be getting to the station soon anyways. Clean it up, while I find a new one.” He stood quickly and exited the room leaving Sirius laying on the floor sputtering after him.

“What a twat. Leaving me to clean this mess up,” Sirius muttered as he slowly sat up and ran a hand through his tousled mane of black locks.

“Well you did tackle him,” Remus pointed out from Sirius’ bed where he was stretched out and was swiping through his phone bored while the boys had rough housed.

“Not. Fair.” Sirius said standing up and coming to stand over Remus next to the bed. “You look incredibly sexy lying on my bed like that.”

“And how is that not fair?” Questioned Remus raising an eyebrow but not looking up from his phone as fingers flew across the screen.

“Because James will be back any minute,” he said placing one knee on the bed. “And you seem more interested in your phone right now.” Sirius stated, finally gaining Remus’ full attention.

“It’s Lily, asking me when I’ll be back. She worries,” Remus explained placing his hand on Sirius’ thigh and rubbing his thumb gently back and forth along the side-seam.

Their eyes met for a moment; silver and amber pupils both blown wide; Sirius placed a ringed hand softly next to Remus’ head on his pillow before leaning in and crushing his lips to his once again. Remus sighed into the kiss, arching into it and raising a hand to curl around the back of Sirius’ neck. Sirius ran his tongue along Remus’ bottom lip asking for entrance, which he granted happily, and their tongues fought for dominance. Remus tugged on Sirius’ neck till he came crashing bodily on top of him on the bed, a pleased noise erupting from him at his success.

“Oi! Come on Padfoot! I was gone for two bloody seconds!”

Sirius groaned against Remus’ mouth, pressing their lips together one more time before turning to glare at James. “Believe it or not Lupin here started it.” Remus under him guffawed and shoved the other man off him sending him tumbling to the floor grumbling, and narrowly avoiding the broken lightbulb.

“Yeah fucking right! Bloke looks like he folds his socks,” James laughed, eyeing Remus’ flushed face for the second time that night. He tossed the box of lightbulbs at Sirius’ chest and plopped back down on the floor across from Sirius.

“Why is that such a bad thing?!” Remus cried, throwing his arms up exasperated. Sirius choked out his bark of a laugh finally getting into gear and starting to pick up the pieces of broken glass and put the lamp back in its place on top of his nightstand.

James and Sirius cleaned up the mess of the lamp and replaced the lightbulb while bickering amongst each other. Sirius and Remus pulled on their shoes and the the three men made their way back down to the main floor in search of their coats and the Potters.

They found their coats hanging in the hall closet and pulled them on before finding the Potters in the back garden around an outdoor fireplace with a few stragglers of Fleamont’s birthday party.

“Sirius my boy!” Fleamont Potter cheered joyously, his rectangle glasses slightly askew and the tie around his neck loosened. He stood from his seat to pull Sirius into a tight bear hug which Sirius laughed into as he returned it. Remus caught Euphemia smiling softly behind her wine glass over their shoulders. “Where have you been hiding all night? And who is your guest?” He asked as the two of them separated but he kept an arm around his shoulder.

“This is Remus Lupin, he’s doing the show with us. Remus this is Fleamont Potter.” The two shook hands sharing a smile.

“Happy birthday sir.” Remus said smoothly, bowing his head slightly at the greying man.

Fleamont laughed in response, jolting Remus slightly. “Please, call me Monty my boy,” he said with a kind smile causing his perfectly coiffed mustache to twitch. “And thank you, I hope to meet you again Remus.”

“Likewise,” he replied softly giving the man a genuine smile.

“You boys need to be leaving if you’re ever to make it to the station, do you need any money for the train?” Euphemia asked coming over to press a kiss to James’ cheek and wrap him in a tight embrace.

“We’re all set mum. Happy birthday again dad,” James said releasing his mother and exchanging a hug with his father while Effie doted over Sirius. Remus stood a foot or so back from the scene, letting the family have their moment before being surprised by the small indian woman wrapping her arms around his waist and placing a kiss to his cheek and telling him he was welcome any time. Fleamont gave him a broad smile and a pat on the shoulder telling him the same and the boys were sent on their way to the train station.

 

***

 

Lily was sitting on the kitchen counter in her dressing gown clutching a large steaming purple mug when the front door slowly creaked open. It was half past one in the morning on Wednesday, she had a class in less than eight hours. As did Remus who was just walking in the door, smelling of cigarette smoke and whiskey.

“And what sort of time do you call this?” She asked handing him a cup after he had removed his shoes and coat and come to lean against the fridge.

“Late,” he said with a yawn, taking a sip of his tea. “But I did text you,” he reminded her climbing on top of the counter opposite her. Mira came running out from wherever she’d been hiding to brush up against the legs of his pants.

“True,” Lily agreed taking a sip from her own cup and eyeing Remus carefully. “Have fun on your excursion out to the country?”

“A bit. It was a lot to take in a first.”

“I can imagine,” she hummed raising an eyebrow asking another silent question.

Remus sighed and set down his cup and fished out his wallet from the back pocket of his trousers and pulled out a tenner, making a show out of pulling it out and setting it down loudly with a smack on the counter. Not breaking eye contact with her the entire time.

Lily let out a hearty laugh, tossing her mane of red hair back as her shoulders shook raucously. Remus glared at her menacingly over his cup as he raised it to take another sip.

“That good huh?” She inquired giving him a cheeky wink.

“Oh sod off,” he grumbled jumping off the counter and stomping to his room, Lily hot on his heels.

He placed his cup down on a coaster covered in tiny constellations before collapsing face first into his bed, groaning loudly into the dark green duvet. Lily curled up in Remus’ desk chair, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face as she gulped down her tea, waiting patiently for Remus to be done with his “gay panic.”

“M mhmm hmmm hm mh” he groaned loudly into the bed in an attempt to speak to Lily without lifting his face out of the covers.

“Do you want to try that again Moonshine?”

“I don’t know what to do,” he mumbled turning to face her and meet her piercing green eyes.

“Regarding what?”

“Everything. Sirius. Me.” He closed his eyes tightly and pushed his face back into his covers again, groaning.

Lily placed her now empty cup on Remus’ desk and came to sit on the bed next him, gently stroking his head. “Do you like him?”

He nodded once against her hand.

“Are you attracted to him?”

He nodded again.

“And what about girls?” Lily asked quieter, running her fingers slowly through his hair now.

Again he nodded, albeit it took longer for him to respond this time.

“Alright. So is it all men, or just Sirius?”

“Ahm mhm.” Remus mumbled into the covers again, hiding the way his face was flushing a terrible shade of red.

“That’s not a bad thing love, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.” She assured as she continued to stroke his hair. “And you know Marlene’s bisexual right? She’s been out since before college. It’s not going to change anything between us or-”

“I’ve known since I was twelve Lily,” Remus whispered turning his head just enough to be heard. “But mum and dad-” he started before cutting himself off making a pained expression. “They uh- have never been approving of the alternative lifestyle. They’ve made comments in passing about things on the television, and in the post, and it’s just better if- It would just be easier if I- I just think-”

Lily hushed his concerns as she laid down next him curling her small body around his shaking tall frame, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling his head to her chest. She could feel the heaving breaths he was taking tremble through his entire body and then through hers. The two of them stayed lying like that for a while; Lily whispering calming words into Remus’ ear and Remus taking deep, calming,  breaths in and out trying to regain his composure once more.

   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to say it but I think chapter 13 will be the end. I have started work on another piece but it’s in early stages now. Thank you all so much for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

When Remus woke up the next day it was half ten, there was hazy light drifting in through his curtains, he was covered in a thick blanket, and his head was pounding. There was also a text from an unknown number on his phone that he pointedly ignored as he pulled off his shirt from yesterday and pulled on a fresh one, and ran his hand through his sandy brown curls.

His bones ached and creaked as he stepped carefully through the apartment, pulling his sleeves protectively over his hands, as he went in search of a cup of tea and something to eat. While he waited for the kettle to boil he fished out a crumpled pack of Marlboros from his back pocket and lit one with shaking hands. Remus stared at the burning end for a moment, mesmerized by the bright cherry, before lifting it and taking a long drag and exhaling slowly.

He really wasn’t much of a cigarette guy, couldn’t stand how long the smell lingered, he preferred to stick with weed if he was going to smoke anything. But today. On a morning such as this, with his nerves strung so high, it was the only way to soothe them.

His grandmother smoke like a chimney, to the annoyance of his mother, practically lived on the back stoop even when the air got cold telling Remus stories and smoking cigarette after cigarette. She was the one who had offered him his first at age fifteen.

It had been a particularly hard summer for the entire Lupin family. Remus’ dad had been laid off from the office he had been working at, forcing Hope Lupin to work double time to cover costs. Remus had already been in and out of hospital twice for minor summer colds that his doctors insisted on observing for. It had all been way too much for him to handle.

So he didn’t.

He receded into himself. Talked to no one that didn’t talk to him first. Fully accepted that no matter what he said or did, his parents were never going to see him as their son ever again. This was the summer his grandparents came to live with them. He avoided them for as long as he could, staying locked in his room for hours on end pouring over books and magazines, and anything he could get his hands on. Then one night, at quarter past midnight, he snuck down from his bedroom to the garden, chest tight and breathing shallow, to find his grandmother already there. A cloud of smoke circling her like a halo, and wry smile on her face. She held him close as he sobbed, and offered him a kerchief to wipe his nose when he was finished, and then passed her tin of hand rolled cigarettes over with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re a strong boy Remus,” she had said, her accent so thick. “Don’t you let a thing kill you.” She had taken the time to show him the proper way to hold the fag, and how to inhale without coughing. And in that evening Remus felt more love than he had in the last five years.

 Remus sighed at the memory, feeling his heart rate return to normal as he leant against the cool steel of the refrigerator. The kettle whistled behind him on the hob, alerting him that the water was boiled and ready for tea, which Remus quickly set about making, a second cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth as he did so.

Once his tea was made, ande he had several slices of toast and jam in his stomach he settled into the couch and withdrew his phone from the dark recesses of his trouser pockets.

[Unknown Number 8:45]

Moonbeam!

Remus had no recollection of even giving Sirius his cell number last night, but he supposed that man had other ways of finding the things he wanted. With many reservations he texted back the other man.

 

[Moon Face 11:02]

Please refrain from calling me that.

[Sirius Black 11:02]

what would u prefer I call u

[Moon Face 11:10]

My name for starters.

[Sirius Black 11:11]

well REMUS how are u on the beautiful day

[Moon Face 11:37]

It’s raining.

[Sirius Black 11:40]

spoilsport. I love the rain such a ducking mess

[Moon Face 11:41]

QUACK. QUACK.

 

Remus left his phone on the couch, a smile on his face, as he rounded up his belongings and pulled on a thick forest green sweater over his head, preparing to leave for his first class of the day. He was lacing up his brown leather boots when he heard the muffled vibration of his phone going off wildly.

 

[Sirius Black 11:41]

*fucking

[Sirius Black 11:42]

u know what I meant

[Sirius Black 11:46]

Remus!

[Sirius Black 11:50]

Moony i’m bored!!

[Sirius Black 11:53]

MOONY

[Sirius Black 11:57]

M

[Sirius Black 11:57]

O

[Sirius Black 11:57]

O

[Sirius Black 11:57]

N

[Sirius Black 11:57]

Y

[Sirius Black 11:57]

!

 

Again Remus wondered at what point in the night he had given Sirius his number, and what had driven him to do so, what had driven him to do a lot of things he wondered… Nope not opening that door. That door was staying firmly shut and locked, he had made his decision with Sirius and he wasn’t changing his mind.

Remus liked Sirius.

Remus liked Sirius.

A man.

And if the kissing last night and the subsequent relentless texting this morning meant anything; Sirius liked him back.

Fuck.

No. this was a good thing. He thought, letting a small smile slip onto his face as he peered at his phone, his slim fingers hovering above the keyboard. What to write back though, he wasn’t smooth when it came to women, effectively fucking up all relationships he ever had by not saying the right thing or not being there enough or in Tonks’ case…

Nymphadora Tonks was a force to be bloody reckoned with. She stood at only 158 and half centimeters, a good bit below Remus’ eyeline, was always changing her hair from pink to blue to purple then back to pink again. She stomped around noisily in large black boots and shorts skirts drawing the attention of everyone and daring anyone to start a fight with her. She was also the person who had suggested to Remus that he might be bisexual.

Tonks was forever pointing out on tv how fit other blokes, and women, and pulling Remus into conversations about boys and girls and what he thought of them. If he would kiss them. If he would fuck them. Then one night during their short two month relationship she brought up the idea of threesome, with another man.

That was too much for Remus. Because that would just prove what he’d known for too long. What he’d been trying to push down. What he’d been trying to avoid so his parents couldn’t come up with another reason to pretend he didn’t exist again.

So he ran.

He physically got up off her bright green shaggy carpet and bolted from her apartment, not bothering to give an explanation, or check to make sure her dog didn’t try to escape.

It took two weeks for him to calm down enough to give her a solid enough explanation and to profusely apologize. Which she finally did accept after he promised to dogsit anytime she needed.

Remus looked down at his phone again and sighed deeply, before getting his fingers to work and attempt to type out a some form of a response.  

 

[Moon Face 12: 23]

James must be busy. And I was too, getting ready for class.

[Sirius Quack 12:25]

nah just wanted 2 talk 2 u

[Moon Face 12:30]

You type like a child.

[Sirius Quack 12:34]

Sorry Mr. Proper Punctuation, is that better?

[Moon Face 12:35]

Much. What did you want to talk about?

[Sirius Quack 12:41]

Don’t you have to get to class?

[Moon Face 12:43]

I’m walking there now. It’s called multitasking

[Sirius Quack 12:47]

I think I’ve heard of that.

 

Remus was in the middle of typing out his response to Sirius when the phone in his hand rung, the name “Sirius Quack” filling the whole screen as the other man called him. He paused momentarily on the sidewalk before answering it, and continuing on his way.

“Sirius,” Remus said the name like a sigh, mildly nervous at actually hearing his voice.

“Lupin! Tell me you’ll be at rehearsal tonight!” Sirius said cheerfully into the phone, Remus could hear music playing lowly behind him.

“I’m not getting married today, remember?”

“Fuck! Right. Good, good, good. Look, can we talk after? Get a drink?”

Remus stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, the woman behind him cursing loudly as she narrowly avoided running into him. What could Sirius possibly want to talk about. Had last night been a mistake. Probably.

“I might take a shift at the library, we’re talking now aren’t we?” Remus said a bit hotly, wanting to get any bad news out of the way now.

“Oh, well-” Sirius sounded dejected but was cut of by someone yelling in the background for him to get off his damned phone. It sounded like Lily. “Fuck- it’s about last night Remus. Lily is yelling at me to get off the phone.”

“Just tell me at rehearsal!”

“Remus, last night-”

But Remus did them both a favor and hung up the phone. A favor for Sirius so Lily wouldn’t beat him with the closest thing possible and to himself; to postpone the heartache. All Remus had to do now was make it through two classes and not let the anticipation of whatever Sirius had to say to him kill him.

 

***

 

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

And Remus was awry.

Maybe a twitchy fucking mess was a better description of his current state. Remus gained no information for the two classes he attended that afternoon, to busy running over scenario after scenario in his head. Of course the first man he had kissed would come to regret it!

He was pacing back in forth in a bathroom on the third floor in the English building, sweat accumulating on the back of his neck and matting his curls to his forehead. A loud banging on the door stopped him dead in his tracks, hands clenched tight at his side, head whipping around to face the door.

“Remus?” He visibly relaxed at the sound of Lily’s voice on the side of the door. He slowly move to door and unlocked it, opening it slowly to peek into the hall to see her standing there like a ginger goddess.

“Bloody hell,”she muttered as she shoved on the door, squeezing through the crack she had created. “Get ahold of yourself Moony.”

She locked the door and passed by the urinals to slide open the old window; it creaked loudly in resistance from years of thick paint jobs. Lily fished through her black purse and withdrew one of Remus’s multiple pipes she had nicked from his room and a small airtight container with pre-shredded weed.

Remus mopped over to her and with drew a lighter from his coat pocket as she packed it quickly and passed it to him, allowing him to light up. He took several quick hits before passing the bowl to Lily, who only took a small one before passing it back to him to finish.

“Fuuuuuck me,” he groaned as he breathed out a thick plume of smoke, letting his head fall back against the tiled wall.

“You’re being overdramatic Moony,” Lily said plainly, taking one of his hands in hers.

“Think I don’t fucking know that,” he chuckled darkly. “I just couldn’t stop my fucking brain. Everything kept spiraling out the more I thought about it.” Remus paused for a moment, closing his eyes, and clenched Lily’s hand tightly. “He called me today.”

“Did he actually say the words “Remus swapping saliva with you bollocks and I’m completely off my rocker?”

“Don’t say swapping saliva.”

“Did he or did he not.”

“No, he just wanted to talk but you were nagging his head of about something or other so he didn’t get the chance.” Lily shoved at him playfully and pulled her hand from his grasp to wrap around his middle.

“So. Overreacting.”

“I already admitted to that Evans.” Remus said a bit too loud for the small space they were sharing, throwing his hands up then letting them settle around Lily.

She fit nicely next to him, only coming up to his shoulders at just one-hundred and fifty-seven centimeters. He loved to bury his nose in her ginger hair and breathe her in. She always smelled of cedar and lavender and way too much coffee, but the smell had come to calm him over their years of friendship.

“You big lump,” she mumbled into his sweater, squeezing him tightly and releasing him.

Lily packed his pipe and other belongings back into the bottom of her purse and withdrew a small bottle of cologne, and a bottle of Clear Eyes. She sprayed herself before offering it to Remus as she walked to the sinks. Remus repeated her actions with a chuckle; Lily Evans: never unprepared.

“Ready for rehearsal?” She asked as Remus passed back the eye drops

“Fuck no, but I’ll be arsed if I don’t show, so let’s get a bloody move on.”

  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late post! I have had the most excruciating migraine for the past two days and if I’m not too careful that can end up with me in the ER with shots in my ass (TMI I know). I greatly appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy what I think is the last chapter of Much Ado About Everything.

The double doors to the auditorium were propped open when Remus and Lily finally made their way out of the bathroom and down the large ornate staircases of the old building. They could hear the loud chattering of their castmates before they even reached the doors, and above them all Sirius and James.

Lily and Remus stumbled together down the ramped maroon carpeting of the large hall, in between rows of many seats of the same color, heads beant together as they whispered amongst the two of them.

“Just don’t leave me alone with him Lils.” Remus was saying hastily, grasping the strap of his bag tightly. Knuckles turning white.

“He’s not a serial killer Moons.”

“Why are you on his side of all sudden!” He whispered harshly, pulling her to a stop in the middle of the auditorium.  

“I’m on your side Remus, I just think you need to give him a chance.”

“Like you’re giving Potter a chance?”

“We are not talking about me right now,” she said tightly pulling him along quickly to temporary stairs that were pushed flush against the front of the stage.

The rest of the cast were circled up on stage enthusiastically going through warm ups; pulling and stretching their limbs while talking raucously amongst each other. Lily and Remus dropped their bags on the front of the stage before joining the rest of the crew, who opened their circle wordlessly to let them in. A few members of the cast paused their conversations to wave amicably at them or to ask how their day had been, but Remus focused on keeping silent, eyes trained on the floor.

He was aware of McGonagall talking cheerfully from where she sat in the front front of chairs, a large wooden table pulled up in front of her covered in papers and multiple tea cups, but the words were fuzzy around around his ears. Nobody was moving from their spaces on the stage yet, and everyone was still stretching, so he figured it wasn’t too important.

He could see Sirius from the corner of his eye, sitting on the floor a couple people away from him, dressed comfortably in tight fitting black jogging bottoms, and a red long sleeve band-tee. His shoulder length hair was pulled back in messy bun showing off his tantalizing neck and his shining silver piercing in his ears. He was laughing loudly at something James next to him had said, and Remus thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight.   

Suddenly Sirius jumped to his feet, and the rest of the cast was in action. Remus looked to Lily questioningly.

“We need to set up the chairs for the wedding, facing downstage.” She paused, taking a quick look over at Sirius who was already taking charge with James and pulling chairs out of a set of double doors off the left of the stage. “Come on boyo, head in the game,” Lily gave his shoulder a quick squeeze, tapping the side of his head with her other hand, then left him to start setting the chairs in orderly rows in the centre of the stage.

Remus move slowly towards the front of the stage, instead of the actual cluster-fuck going on with the chairs, and more importantly towards his bag that he had placed there, and pulled out his script and a water bottle. He knew nearly all his lines by this point, having read Much Ado About Nothing plenty of times before, but Shakespeare was a scoche harder to commit to memory than normal lines he found.

He sat on the edge of the stage and opened his script to todays scene, his long legs swinging back and forth slowly as he read. After a few minutes a shadow crept across his pages, and he could sense a presence hard to ignore standing to the left of him.

“Sirius.” He said softly, not bothering to lift his head, pretending to continue to look over his highlighted lines.

“Lupin, you got a mo?” Sirius asked softly, crouching down to Remus’ level.

“I’m running over my lines.”

“You know them better than anyone, except maybe Evans. It’ll only take a minute.” Remus sighed loudly, and slammed the binder he was keeping his script in.

“Well go on,” he said, irritated.

“Come with me?” The other man asked, extending a hand and raising an eyebrow, oblivious to Remus’ mood.

“Seri-”

“Yes!”

“Fine!” Remus pushed off from the edge of the stage and ignored Sirius hand in favor of simply following after him as he led him quickly out the side doors and out into a quiet hallway. Sirius looked around for a moment before opening the door to the Theatre departments paint-room with key off a large ring of keys in his pocket, and motioned Remus inside after flicking the light on.

Remus crossed his arms across his chest and raised and eyebrows staring at Sirius’ expectant face till the other man just grabbed his elbow and dragged him bodily into the cluttered room. Closing the door behind him.

“What the hell is-”

Sirius cut him off quickly by shoving him up against the door with his body, and pressing his lips to his. He had to lean up to make them meet, being a solid ten centimeters or so shorter than him. Remus for his part gasped against Sirius mouth, surprised by the other man's actions, but he quickly recouped and wrapped his arms around Sirius and pulled him as close as possible.

 “Fuck,” Sirius moaned pulling back slightly from Remus’ mouth. “I’ve been thinking about that all day.”

“Then why are you stopping?” Remus growled, bring up hand to grasp at Sirius’ neck and press their lips back together. He let his tongue swipe playfully at Sirius’ bottom lip before biting at it, begging for entrance. Which Sirius conceded, as he gripped tightly at Remus’ waist and curls.

The two were breathless and panting when they finally separated, clinging to each other for support and smiling like idiots.

“You’re gorgeous,” Sirius whispered, stroking long delicate fingers down the side of Remus’ flushed face.

“Don’t be a fool,” Remus shot back, wiggling uncomfortable under Sirius gaze, his flush deepening.

“Can’t help what I am Moony,” he replied leaning back in a placing a singular kiss to the tip of Remus’ nose and each of his cheeks. “Suppose we should get to rehearsal then.”

“Wait!” Remus said, too loud for their cramped quarters. “What is this?” He said looking down at the paint splattered floor, much quieter this time.

“This? Between us you mean?”

“Yes,” he was so much quieter now. Scared of what Sirius was going to say.

“I think you’re bloody brilliant Remus, but I know this is new to you.” Sirius took that one step closer that was separating them and took one of Remus’ hands in both of his. “This is… I will be…”  He looked up into Remus’ wide amber eyes with his own terrified silver ones and whispered softly, “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“But, you want there to be a “this”?” Remus clarified, clutching Sirius’ hand tightly. Sirius only had to nod once before Remus was kissing him again with renewed fervor.

 

***

 

They separated a good fifteen minutes later, wide smiles on both of their faces, fighting not to laugh.

Sirius cracked the paint room door open and peered out into the hallway, giving Remus one last lingering look before slipping out the door into the empty hallway.

Remus, now alone in the cramped closet, slumped against the door, clutching his chest and breathing hard. His face hurt from smiling so hard, and his lips were surely rubbed raw from his embrace with Sirius, but he couldn’t believe his luck! A man so gorgeous and so grand, and so… so.

He struggled to put into words everything he thought Sirius was, and it would take time for him to adjust to dating a man for the first time… but he wanted this. They both wanted this, so whole heartily.

Remus fumbled with door a few times before getting it to open and tripping over his long limbs into the vacant hallway. Dumbledore and Gideon were running through a later later of the scene in raised voices when he peered through the door, trying to be as silent as possible with his entrance.

It was always a joke of the theatre departments that Albus would play a role in every show that that he directed, and this year was no different. In this years winter show he was playing the role of the Friar, whose job it was to marry the young Claudio and the fair Hero.

He met Sirius’ eyes across the room and couldn’t help the flush that crept up his skin, warming his face and neck in a not unpleasant way. Remus crossed the expansive room to Lily who was sitting in the front row of chairs, with a knowing look on her porcelain face.

“Feel better Moons?” She asked, as he took the seat next to her, a smile still plastered on his freckled face.

“Mind your own business you bint,” he shot back at her, swatting at her legs with his impressive reach. Lily let out a loud bell like laugh drawing the attention of those near, including James and Sirius, and went back to reading over her lines. Chuckling to herself as she did so.

“Lupin, Potter, Tonks, Black, Evans and Snape. To the stage, if you would please,” called McGonagall in her authoritative voice from where she stood in the front of the stage.. “The rest of you please clear, we will fill you in as needed.”

It was a cacophonous noise as the students filed up and down the stairs and stood on the front of the stage while they waited for further instruction.

“You will all enter the scene from upstage, Benedick and Beatrice first. Talking lowly, almost flirting,” there was chuckling from the cast and Sirius shot Remusa wink.

“The will come sir Leanato and I,” proclaimed Dumbledore, gliding gracefully across the stage in his friars robes. Gideon dutifully at his side.

“Well yes,” sniffer Minerva, “then it will be Don Pedro, Don Juan, and followed by Claudio.” James smirked at Remus and nudged him with his shoulder as he walked by him to stand next to Severus. Remus quickly followed; back straight, shoulders set, eyes forward.

“Yes, yes, very nice gentlemen. Then with her grandiose entrance will be Miss Hero.” Nymphadora smiled brightly at the group and strode proudly to the center of the stage, beside Remus.

Oh fuck. She was just as beautiful as ever. A petite woman with fairy like features, sparkling deep blue eyes that popped against her porcelain skin. Her hair color was ever changing, it had been blue for most of the time they were together, but was still cut in her trademark pixie. She had a piercing in her brow now, and one in her nose; her hair was bubblegum pink.

“Remus Lupin. Don’t you look fine,” she whispered, leaning in close as Minerva continued speaking.

“I. Um… Yes. Fine. I am. You?” His flush returning tenfold as he stammered.

“Smooth as ever. Dog got your tongue?” Remus spluttered at that his eyes widening at her, drawing the attention of people nearby.

“No. I’m perfectly fine. Nymphadora.”

“Don’t. Call. Me. Nymphadora.” She spat at him swatting at his chest, but a smile playing at her lips. “Working through the Black family are you?” Tonks said much quieter.

“Dora! Piss off you nosy tosser.” Remus ran a hand nervously through his hair and looked around quickly making sure nobody heard that part. “It literally just started maybe happening. How the fuck do you know?”

“Because I’ve known Sirius since I was born, and because you two wankers disappeared god knows where for fifteen fucking minutes,” she cackled quietly to herself, her eyes crinkling in that way Remus always loved.

“Jesus.”

“It’s fine Moons, only James and I noticed. And Lily.”

“Fuck me.”

“Not anymore thank you.”

“Jesus,” Remus repeated shaking his head. It wasn’t always easy being friends with your ex’s, but with Tonks it had been so damn easy. They had been friends for two years before, and she had been so understanding, and there for him.

The only person who had known.

“Slow down that brain of yours Remus, I’m not going to tell anyone. You should know that by now.”

“I do.” He said quietly, not quite meeting her eye.

“So what happened?”

“Mr. Lupin, Ms. Tonks! If you would please!” Called McGonagall from her post on the front apron, arms crossed in front of her chest.

Lupin was all too happy to oblige, shooting Tonks a quick smile before marching forward to stand at the altar. She quickly followed him, doing her best to look shy and demure, though she was anything but.

“Come, Friar Francis, be brief; only to the plain form of marriage, and you shall recount their particular duties afterwards.” Spoke Gideon gesturing towards Dumbledore to begin the “ceremony” then taking a seat next to Alice; playing the role of Leonato’s wife. She had sweet plump rosy cheeks, with dimples, and a long wavy bob of blonde hair pinned away from her face.

“You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady.” Dumbledore said, his dulcet tone filling the room, though he was addressing Remus in front of him.

“No.”

“To be married to her: friar, you come to marry her,” Gideon said hastily from his seat, putting his hand on Remus’ arm.

Remus quickly shook him off.

“Lady, you come hither to be married to this count,” Dumbledore said, this time addressing Tonks.

“I do.”

“If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined, charge you, on your souls, to utter it.”

“Know you any, Hero?” Remus said coldly, not turning to look at the younger woman next to him.

“None, my lord,” she replied hastily.

“Know you any, count?” Questioned Albus, taking a step away from the two.

Gideon stood from his chair quickly, causing it to fall and loudly demanded: “I dare make his answer, none!”

“O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do, not knowing what they do!” Remus projected loudly stepping away from the lot of them, throwing his script to the ground and pulling his hands through his brown curls.

“How now! interjections? Why, then, some be of laughing,” asked Sirius loudly stepping down the makeshift aisle, stopping midway, and letting out a deep cynical laugh.

And shooting Remus a quick wink that he would savor for days, and in that moment he could feel warming his chest and all the way to his toes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> New chapter every Monday.  
> justice-reigns on tumblr :)


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